When Dad Killed Mom **** 1/2

Lester, Julius. When Dad Killed Mom. New York: Harcourt, 2001.

I am glad I chose to re-reas this book. I remember enjoying it then and I enjoyed it again. This novels begins with Jeremy and his sister Jenna finding out that there father has killed their mother by shooting her outside a coffee shop. Jenna and Jeremy take sides and stop wanting to be around each other. Jenna takes her fathers side because she has always been a Daddy' girl while Jeremy was always with their mother. Jeremy remains in their mother's painting studio with their Grandfather watching over him. Jenna goes to stay with Karen, her mother's best friend and, interestingly, her father's ex wife.

Jenna and Jeremy start getting pulled in all directions. Their mother's parents live in San Franciso and want them to come and live with them, but they don't want to. They give up on that but then their other Grandfather gets deeply into their father's defense. The lawyer tries to get Jenna and Jeremy to testify that their parents fought all the time and that their mother was abusive to their father. While living in their mother's painters studio, Jeremy comes across his mother's diary. As he reads it, a lot of information comes out that changes things for everyone.

Each chapter alternates between Jeremy and Jenna which works really well for this book. Instead of a one-sided story, we get to see two sides and then see how they come together in the end. Highly recommended for all readers!