Daphne Grab Book Title: Alive and Well in Prague, New York Publication Date: June 3, 2008 Publisher: Laura Geringer/HarperTeen ISBN: 978-0061256707 Author's Website: http://www.daphnegrab.com

Description of Book:

Matisse Osgood is a New York City girl through and through. She buys her clothes at Andy’s Cheapies, watches indie films at The Angelika, and wouldn’t be caught dead on a hay ride. But when her father gets sick and Matisse’s parents decide to leave Manhattan for a small town in upstate New York , her perfect world crumbles.  
 
As Matisse trudges through life in Prague , she dreams of waking up in her apartment on West 78th St. with a father who’s well enough to walk with her in Central Park and a mother who doesn’t pretend that everything is okay.  When rumors surround Matisse at school, and her father’s symptoms worsen, Matisse realizes that the friends she’s making in Prague are the kind you can count on.  They help Matisse find the strength to reach out to her father, who may not be as far from her as she thought.  And one particular farm boy shows Matisse that country living is a lot more magical than she had ever imagined.     

About the Author:

Daphne Grab grew up in a small town in upstate New York.  She has worked a number of jobs including teaching high school history, building houses for Habitat for Humanity and teaching ESL in China.  She also earned an MFA in Creative Writing at the New School.  In 1998 she moved to New York City where she discovered that she has always been a city girl at heart.  She lives there now with her husband and children. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Excerpt:

After school I walked into town. The rain had stopped, and I wanted to get a new book on my way home. Two girls brushed past me on the sidewalk, their heads bent together. For a second I thought of the first day of school last year, Ceese and I walking uptown to the Mocha Bean while she told me all about meeting James in drama class. Of course, all that had changed, but walking with Ceese on the first day of school—that was a good day.
 
It was only a few blocks from the high school to the main street of Prague. There were a couple of stores, a sad little park with a run-down playground, and a parking lot with five or six cars in it.
 
I walked up to the bookstore, and as I reached for the door, three kids pushed their way out. Two guys—who looked like twins in their jeans and football jerseys—came first, followed by a girl in a bright pink minidress. They were so intent on their conversation that they didn’t even notice when they hit me with the door.
 
“Man, what was with that guy?” the girl asked.
 
“What a freak!” one of the guys with her said. The other guy started jerking and shaking his arms. They all cracked up.
 
“That’s just how he looked!” the girl crowed.

I froze, unable to tear my eyes away from the guy waving his arms. He had added grunting sounds to his act, and the girl was doubling over. The blood in my veins turned to ice, sweat pricked my temples, and my breath was stuck, pressed down tight in my chest. I couldn’t move or think—not that I had to. I knew the freak they were making fun of.

I didn’t need to go inside to see it was my father.

Reviews:

The heroine’s strong, clear voice and heartbreaking vulnerability propel the story forward, engaging the reader from the start.
- Booklist 5/15

And excellent narrative voice, touching emotional connection and playful rural activities will take readers on their own relaxing hayride. 
- Kirkus 5/1 

"Daphne Grab's debut novel captures perfectly the pains and joys of a small-town high school, with a wry, observant heroine who learns that true strength must coexist with compassion." - Catherine Gilbert Murdock, author of DAIRY QUEEN and THE OFF SEASON

*five stars*  Ms. Grab writes a tender story of a girl’s struggle to accept the life she’s had thrust upon her.
- Teens Read Too