The Floor of the Sky

In the Nebraska Sandhills, nothing is more sacred than the bond of family and land-and nothing is more capable of causing deep wounds. In Pamela Carter Joern's riveting novel The Floor of the Sky, Toby Jenkins, an aging widow, is on the verge of losing her family's ranch when her granddaughter Lila-a city girl, sixteen and pregnant-shows up for the summer. While facing painful decisions about her future, Lila uncovers festering secrets about her grandmother's past-discoveries that spur Toby to reconsider the ambiguous ties she holds to her embittered sister Gertie, her loyal ranch hand George, her not-so-sympathetic daughter Nola Jean, and ultimately, herself. Propelled by stark realism in breakneck prose, The Floor of the Sky reveals the inner worlds of characters isolated by geography and habit. Set against the sweeping changes in rural America-from the onslaught of corporate agribusiness to the pressures exerted by superstores on small towns-Joern's compelling story bears witness to the fortitude and hard-won wisdom of people whose lives have been forged by devotion to the land. Pamela Carter Joern is a widely published author whose work has appeared in South Dakota Review, Red Rock Review, Feminist Studies, and Minnesota Monthly. She is also the author of five professionally produced plays, the winner of a Tamarack Award in 2001, and the recipient of a Minnesota State Arts Board writing fellowship.

Author: Pamela Carter Joern
Publisher: Bison
Published: 09/01/2006
Pages: 244
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.74lbs
Size: 8.62h x 5.46w x 0.61d
ISBN: 9780803276314
Audience: Young Adult

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.4
Point Value: 10
Interest Level: Upper Grade
Quiz #/Name: 114398 / Floor of the Sky


Award: Alex Awards - Winner
Award: Iowa High School Book Award - Nominee


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 06/05/2006 pg. 30
Kirkus Reviews 07/01/2006 pg. 650
Library Journal 08/15/2006 pg. 70
Library Journal 08/01/2006 pg. 70
Booklist 08/01/2006 pg. 41
Shelf Awareness 01/01/0001

About the Author
Pamela Carter Joern is a widely published author whose work has appeared in South Dakota Review, Red Rock Review, Feminist Studies, and Minnesota Monthly. She is also the author of five professionally produced plays, the winner of a Tamarack Award in 2001, and the recipient of a Minnesota State Arts Board writing fellowship.


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