The Sunflower Letters

Redcliffe "Rebel" Rothenberg takes the reader on a a nostalgic trip to a small town in Kansas during the 1950s-1960s. In 1946, the day "Rebel" was born, the ceiling fell on her family at the breakfast table, an omen of surprises yet to come in her life. If there is mischief brewing, copper-colored, curly-haired Rebel is there which results in stern lectures from Grandma, a woman whose old-fashioned ways clash with Rebel's zest for life. She's bold, sassy, and funny which clashes with Grandma's list of what young ladies should and should not do. Her Grandpa is often the loving voice of reason defending Rebel when her behavior upsets Grandma.

Rebel's life in the 1950s and 1960s is a classic picture of small-town life. The once lonely girl gains best friends and enjoys the simple pleasures of sidewalk roller-skating and slurping Popsicles with friends on hot summer days when she is young. As a pre-teen, she struggles with older sisters who consider her 'too young to understand, ' and a baby sister who wants to tag along with her.

After learning to drive the manual shift in her family's old Chevy Bel Air convertible, she and her friends, Jaylynn, Wanda, and Shirley cruise into high school with style. Proms, theater, drag racing, dating, gossip, and the all-important first kiss happen while Rebel searches to discover the secret that divides her family.

Rebel's life is one of fun, sorrow, embarrassment, and of witnessing the power of forgiveness. She is a mid-century Anne of Green Gable or Laura Ingalls Wilder on steroids. The book is a fun historic read for young people and a nostalgic read for older readers.