Zoeytron's Reviews > Unsettled Ground

Little kids have a tendency to believe what their mother tells them.  It's an important part of learning, and affects so many things in their lives.  The mother in this story was a good person, everyone says so.  She lives with her two children in a "needs work" old-fashioned cottage in the English countryside.  In this novel, the mother dies unexpectedly right off the bat, and her children are left to deal with the fallout.  The thing is, those children are 51 years old, twins Julius and Jeanie.  They have always lived at home with their mother, and have been sheltered in the extreme.

We all know how much the dynamics of a household change when a family member leaves, and this is no exception.  The problem is, neither Julius nor Jeanie is really equipped to deal with the world at large.  Jeanie has a serious heart condition, and has trouble reading and writing; Julius is a below par handyman.  Although they have been brought up with a dearth of money, the mother forbids any charity available or anything offered for free, regardless of the source.

Bad decisions, virtually no money, and an utter lack of experience in the real world.  Funeral expenses, a looming eviction, and hunger are only the beginning of their troubles.