GOODNIGHT, JUNE (Sarah Jio)

I've been reading all of Sarah Jio's books, and this is not my favorite.  It's not that I didn't like it, but there were a few things that were a bit contrived that made me feel like the author was stretching belief a little bit.  You'll probably see what I mean if you read it.  That being said, if you are a fan of Margaret Wise Brown and "Goodnight, Moon," or even if you just enjoy a good story about someone whose life is driven by success and power gradually coming to the realization that there are things in life much more precious, you'll enjoy "Goodnight, June."

June is your typical type-A New York banker.  Her job is to foreclose on people who are unable to meet their mortgage payments, with no regard for their hopes, dreams, or future plans.  She is very good at what she does and spends 24/7 thinking about her work.  She also suffers from high blood pressure and other stress-related health issues even though she is just in her 30's, and she hasn't seen her family since a falling out with her sister 5 years before.  She ignores messages and mail and is generally uninterested when it comes to family.  When she finally comes to the realization that her beloved Aunt Ruth has died and left her the bookstore in Seattle where June and her little sister practically grew up, she starts to realize that maybe the life she has been living has veered off course a little bit from what she intended it to be.  As the novel progresses we learn more about June's childhood and the family problems that made June into what she is today.  When June discovers a series of letters written between her Aunt Ruth and children's author Margaret Wise Brown, she begins to understand that things and people are not always what they seem to be.  To her delight, she gradually realizes her aunt's important role in the creation of Brown's most famous book.  She also starts to find room in her heart for love and family as she realizes that perhaps saving the store might be more important than she originally thought.

Although this is fiction and there really was no Aunt Ruth that inspired "Goodnight, Moon," Jio has created a wonderful fantasy of what might have been.  As I mentioned before, I think that some things were a little too far outside the realm of belief, but, then again, this is fiction.  I will continue to read Sarah Jio because I love her books.  This one, I just loved a little bit less than some of the others,