DIAMONDS IN THE SHADOW

The last thing Jared Finch wants is to share his room with an African refugee. When his church can’t find an inexpensive apartment for a four-person African refugee family, Jared’s family decides to step in, over his protests. But taking them in means a lot more than providing shelter.

Jared’s 11-year-old sister Mopsy is thrilled. She thinks she will now have the sister she has always dreamed of. But when the Amabo family arrives, it is clear that they have more problems than the Finch family can handle. Celestine and Andre are pleasant enough adults and speak English well, but Andre’s hands were cut off in Africa. Finding him a job will be impossible until new synthetic hands have been developed and attached. Celestine has a new job cleaning at a motel but refuses to learn how to drive. Mattu, the teenage son, brings two mysterious boxes of his grandparents’ ashes. Alake, the daughter, doesn’t react, eat or talk to anyone or anything, and her hair is a wild mess. Weirdest of all, Celestine and Andre don’t seem to talk to or care about the two teens. Is this really a family?

No one in the Finch family noticed the fifth refugee who stepped off the plane. He was sent off to Texas but is desperately trying to find the Amabo family. They have something he wants.

Mrs. Finch gets busy taking Andre to appointments and Celestine to her job. Jared brings Mattu to school, which he loves. Soon he is better than everyone else in his high school at soccer. Jared’s parents begin to teach Mattu to drive, while saying that Jared is still too immature. Alake goes to middle school with Mopsy, but her friends soon tire of the girl who stares unseeing all the time. Mopsy takes each glance as an achievement and soon works toward thawing Alake’s frozen heart. Alake simply has seen too much in Africa and had to endure some horrible events during the terrible fighting there.

Mr. Finch is helping only a little. He has his hands full dealing with a big problem at the church. He had been in charge of raising money for its expansion, but his partner stole all $750,000, leaving the church with no money for the planned project and a criminal case to sort out for one of its prominent members. The problems of Mr. Wall (the man who stole the money) become worse when Mrs. Wall comes crying to the house, asking for forgiveness, because she knew her husband was gambling away the money.

As the book continues, readers learn more and more about the Fifth Refugee, a dangerous killer, and how large a threat he really is, not only to the Amabos but to the Finches as well. Alake is forced into a terrifying scenario that will affect everyone living in the Finch household.

While readers will learn about the terrible situation in Africa, they also will be drawn into the exciting series of events of DIAMONDS IN THE SHADOW. Cooney once again delivers vivid, likable characters and a page-turning plot for young people to enjoy.