Wonderful story! The plight of an abandoned child is a difficult topic for any tender heart to bear, but Rae along with faithful Splinter and later curmudgeonly neighbor Lettie were the type of characters I couldn't get enough of; lovable and resilient while countering the fear of the unknown. It's simply too much for a 10-year-old to manage, but there is hope mingled among the trials of her everyday existence. This is more a heart-sore read rather than a depressive one. 4 stars.
