A review by beatricehill
Finding Laura Buggs by Stanley Gordon West

4.0

Finding Laura Buggs is a companion novel to Until They Bring the Streetcars Back. You'll find familiar characters and a similar world to that novel. Much like Streetcars, the pacing of the novel is a treat. The characters are just so wholesome. They get caught up in teen dances and football games and playing pranks on their teachers. Sandy Meyer takes the lead of this story. Sandy knows that she was adopted but has very little knowledge of her biological family. One clue sets her on a journey of finding her biological family and figuring out who she is. Sandy befriends an older man, Arnold Shapiro, who is a real curmudgeon-y delight. He tells Sandy, "Make friends with an angel if you ever get the chance." There is also a running theme of hope with an Emily Dickinson poem heavily referenced: "Hope is the thing with feathers/ That perches in the soul,/ And sings the tune without the words,/ And never stops at alll..." Because this is a Gordan West novel, be prepared for some dark twists and turns sprinkled amongst the charm of the characters.