Zebra Forest

In this novel set during the Iran hostage crisis, eleven-year-old Annie and her brother Rew live with their grandmother near a state prison. Gran doesn't leave home much, sending Annie on errands and having her deal with the "truant lady" who checks up on the kids. One night there is a prison break, and a desperate-seeming man forces his way into the house. The kids are terrified, but Gran is unmoved: the man is her son, Andrew Snow, the children's father, whom they thought to be long dead. The fugitive bars the doors, rips out the phone, and threatens harm to anyone attempting escape. Rew, more furious than scared, hatches a plan to alert the authorities, but Annie hesitates: she has been following the hostage crisis in the news, and tells herself she's being cautious on her brother and grandmother's behalf. Also, despite herself, she's intrigued by her father, and this ambivalence is what makes Gewirtz's story so compelling. Snow is not a nice guy: his prison conviction was for manslaughter, and he's straightforward about having committed the crime. In addition, Annie and Rew's mom abandoned the family years before; Rew has a wicked temper; and Gran's care-taking leaves much to be desired. They all have redeeming qualities, though, and their commonalities -- such as their love of Treasure Island and the woods behind their house -- bring Annie, Rew, Gran, and Andrew together as they navigate an ever-shifting notion of family. elissa gershowitz