Dolina's Grad

Darleen R. Golke is a high-school teacher-librarian in Winnipeg,
Manitoba.

In a sequel to Dolina May (1997), Moore returns 17-year-old Dolina May
Hunter to her home in Winnipeg following an unexpected and surprising
weekend at the Cameron farm near Crossings.

Dolina amazes her alcoholic grandmother and addict mother when, having
promised Spencer Cameron she would “clean up her act,” she attends
school regularly. She immediately faces and resolves a conflict with a
vengeful ex-boyfriend, thereby earning the respect of her classmates and
gaining new friends. During the ensuing months, smart and streetwise
Dolina manages to surprise her family, teachers, and classmates by
improving her grades and making graduation a reality. After graduation,
she accepts a summer job working on the Cameron farm.

Using Dolina as narrator, Moore allows us glimpses of the vulnerability
that lies beneath her heroine’s surface bravado. In juxtaposing city
scenes with farm scenes, she reveals the contrasts between Dolina’s
dysfunctional home life and the apparent normalcy of the Cameron’s
rural idyll. Handsome Spencer adds a dimension to the plot but remains
static (presumably the character will be more developed in the final
volume in the planned trilogy). With much trepidation, Dolina invites
Spencer to her graduation dance; he tentatively agrees but leaves her in
limbo until the actual event.

Moore’s prose flows smoothly; the dialogue is snappy and realistic,
echoing conversations that might be overheard in high-school hallways.
Dolina is a well-drawn and dynamic character, and the secondary
characters are sketched with enough care and detail to move them beyond
mere stereotypes. Among the strongest scenes are those awkward family
moments between Dolina and her mother as the girl tries to uncover
secrets long buried. Moore infuses enough of the unexpected into scenes
like the graduation dance to capture the reader’s interest.
Recommended.