Lost and Broken Things, a novel by Linda Sandifer is a memorable account of loyalty and bravery set in Idaho’s vast back-country in the shadow of Blue Mountain, 1929.
Lily Statton, fourteen, and her brother Davy, eleven, have been tending sheep all summer. They camp out with Lily sleeping in the sheep wagon, Davy in a small tent. No one has brought them food for two weeks and they’re getting desperate. Lily and Davy aren’t actually brother and sister, they are both adopted. The two are loyal to each other though they really feel no loyalty from either their adoptive mother, or her latest husband, their so-called step-father.
Miranda Oakes, the kids’ adoptive mother, is preoccupied with running a sheep ranch, flirting with neighboring ranchers, and making one poor decision after another. One of her latest decisions was marrying Eddie, or Pretty Eddie as Lily and Davy call him. He is handsome, but mean, to them in particular, but also to animals and anyone who gets in his way. The only thing he really seems to care about is his sheep. Sheep mean money.
When the kids’ plight is brought to light, it becomes apparent that Miranda is missing. There are a few possibilities where she might be, but when Sheriff Jack Tanner is alerted of the situation, a search for her is organized.
Sheriff Jack Tanner has a deep sadness. While he was in France fighting World War I, his wife and baby died of influenza. He is attracted to Anne Blake, who served as a nurse in the War and later went back to school and became a doctor. But he can’t get over the loss of his wife and the baby he never saw.
Lost and Broken Things is an exceptionally fine story. The author describes with vivid detail the surrounding countryside. Conversations are realistic, heart-felt, and flow naturally. The story of the kids’ heart-rending plight, the meanness of their step-father, the selfishness of their adoptive mother, the heartache of the sheriff’s tragic loss, all meld into an inspiring novel of depth. I loved Lost and Broken Things and highly recommend it.