Found Things by Marilyn Hilton (review)

After her brother disappears, River Rose goes ever more frequently to the river that is her namesake, where family legend says she was found and where she now collects pieces of dolls and jewelry and other items that wash up on shore. Taunted by the school bully, River finds her loneliness eased by the arrival of Meadow Lark Frankenfield; with physical deformities and an unnervingly assured comportment that guarantee she will remain an outsider, Meadow Lark becomes fast friends with River. The more time River spends with Meadow Lark, the more secrets surface and unfold in River’s family life, while wishes she makes seem to come true, leaving her to wonder who exactly Meadow Lark is—and to ask the same about herself. Lyrical and poignant, this novel weaves lessons about family, friendship, and forgiveness with elements of magical realism; otherworldly infusions into the novel, namely the mysterious Meadow Lark, emerge subtly but powerfully, maintaining focus on River’s reality while imbuing the narrative with an eerie wonder and possibility. Hilton has a remarkable gift for language, employing memorable, heart-piercing turns of phrase (the red hearts drawn on Meadow Lark’s lunch napkins show she is a “cared-about girl”) and using sophisticated conceits, such as speech alteration after trauma, to approach serious subjects of loss and self-discovery. Sensitive to its characters and attuned to the needs of the eleven-year-old heart, this evocative novel will fare well with readers who love language or uncovering family secrets, and who don’t mind a bit of thought-provoking ambiguity in a story’s end.