Read a long time ago but never forgot the kitchen described in the book, especially the waste bucket under the sink. Author seemed impressed when I told her it was an image that has stuck with me forever. Sullivan is a fantastic writer. ( )

This is Lark's coming-of-age story which starts in Harvester, MN and ends up on the road to Long Beach, CA. Lark lives in the back of the train depot where her father is employed. Her father is abusive and Lark very often escapes into her books and daydreams to deal with this and her parent's arguing. The story takes place in the 30's and 40's and the story's setting is very accurate. Lark and her mother dream of their own home, #127, the Cape Ann. It seems as though they will never get the money no matter how hard her mother tries. I liked the issues covered in the book and Lark's attempt to deal with them. ( )

Wonderful story. The author obviously took her time writing it. Loved all the details of the time period. Story is set in the late 30's to early 40's. Everytime I picked it up the present just slipped away from me. I found the characters and their stories believable and all fit nicely into the main story. This would have been a five star read for me but I thought Lark's thought process as well as her vocabulary were that of someone older. I almost didn't pick up this book thinking it was going to be some sappy unrealistic feel good story but I read another review that stated something along those same lines which is why I gave it a try. Really glad I did. ( )

The young narrator in this story has a special place she can go in her mind when her "sins", of which she keeps a running list, seem overwhelming. This place is found in a book of house plans that hold the promise of a happier life for Lark. Everyone needs a sanctuary, especially when one's life is as dreary as 6-year-old Lark's. With a father who squandered their meager resources and regularly beat her for biting her fingernails, it's a wonder she wasn't even more messed up. Thank goodness her mother developed a backbone and stood up to her bully of a husband. A fast read, and, due to a smidgen of hope near the end, it's not as depressing as it sounds. ( )

The Cape Ann is the name on the plans of the house that Lark Ann Ehrhart and her mother plan to build some day. It is the place to which six-year-old Lark escapes in daydreams when her parents begin to argue, the home that her mother dreams of far from the rooms in the train depot where they live and Lark's father works. Ultimately it symbolizes escape from Harvester, Minn., and independence from the husband and father whose gambling repeatedly sabotages their dream. Lark narrates the adult events of Harvester's Catholic culture without always understanding them. Her point of view adds depth to the story, though occasionally it is more adult than a six year old's would be. Characters are fully colored; historical references firmly set the story in the Depression and beyond. Lark's perceptions, her changes and those of the characters around her will relate to those YAs, who will enjoy Sullivan's flowing and well-crafted story. Sally Bates, Houston Pub . Lib .