Postcards to Father Abraham by Lewis

16-year-old Meghan seems to have found her niche in life. She is a runner and a very good one.
Since life hasn't been exactly kind to her, finding a way to feel comfortable with herself was very important. Her banker father who just doesn't get it sends her off to a private school where her good grades and good running skills could lead to a college scholarship. She is a misfit, becomes friends with another misfit and gets tossed out. At the same time she discovered an injury to her leg that does not heal. This leads to a diagnosis of cancer and the removal of one leg. In trying to adapt to one more bad event in her life, she rights postcards to her hero Abraham Lincoln sharing her pain even as she wonders what his pain was like. There is a subplot about a favorite sibling, Killian who served in the Vietnam War, compared to the Civil War, and came home with post traumatic stress disorders. Unable to tolerate closed in places for long he wanders around all day long and sleeps outside at night. Meghan is very brave and resilient, however scared she is and we know she will be alright no matter what life hands her. This one could make you cry, its just so unfair.
jdw 12/07