Between Two Skies by Joanne O’Sullivan (review)

Before Hurricane Katrina comes bearing down upon Bayou Perdu, sixteen-year-old Evangeline is content with her life in the small fishing town. The disastrous storm upends her life, though: she and her family must move in with her aunt in Atlanta after their home is devastated; her best friend is missing; and her parents, especially the father with whom she shares her love of fishing, seem like different people. Relief comes in the form of Tru, a fellow refugee who manages to win Evangeline’s heart with his music. Soon, though, her family gets word that their FEMA trailer is ready and Evangeline must decide whether to continue her life in a new city or return to her destroyed home to rebuild. Evangeline’s narration is quiet but sturdy; she’s a girl who’s mostly comfortable with who she is, even after the storm upends her surroundings. O’Sullivan carefully traces Evangeline’s journey through her shock, grief, and then to her struggle to determine her future, and it is always clear that Evangeline, not her family, not Tru, and not the threat of another disaster, will decide her own fate. The cast of characters is as diverse as the mixing bowl that is the Louisiana coast: Evangeline is white with French roots, her best friend is black, and Tru is the son of a Vietnamese immigrant; Evangeline’s journey as a refugee moves her among the poor, wealthy, and the working class. Her romance with Tru is sweetly innocent, with the depth of their other passions—his for music, her for water—forming their bond. This is an interesting exploration of the changes that come well after a disaster is over, and it would especially make a thoughtful addition to the books that cover Hurricane Katrina’s more immediate effects.