The sequel to the award-winning Stepping on the Cracks. โSometimes heart-rending, sometimes funny, Gordy Smith will prove memorable to all who meet him.โโBooklist (starred review)
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In Following My Own Footsteps, sixth-grader Gordy Smith comes to grips with the fear that heโll turn out no better than his abusive father . . .
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With his father now in jail and one brother hospitalized, Gordyโs mother has no choice but to take the family to their wealthy grandmotherโs house in North Carolina. There Gordy meets William, a boy who had polio and is now wheelchair bound. Though they become friends, Gordyโs plans to help William fail spectacularly. Matters only get worse when Gordyโs father is released from prison and his mother is poised to give him a second chance. Gordy must decide where he belongsโwith his dysfunctional parents or with the grandma who is more than his match in toughness, in courage, and in love.
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โA cast of unforgettable characters inhabit this work, seasoned with WW II setting but utterly contemporary in its concerns. Hahn is in top form, proving through Gordyโs first-person narration that real love can triumph over all kinds of adversity, and often does.โโKirkus Reviews
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โThe complex characterizations, period setting and Gordyโs brave attempts to break a cycle of violence will hold readersโ interest.โโPublishers Weekly
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โItโs a timeless social issue really, in any era, of having a dysfunctional abusive parent . . . A very good story showcasing complex friendships, familial relationships, and inner conflict, all set in WW2 America.โโCats and Fiction