Patricia Jacobson

Fern Patricia Jacobson

Eight-year-old Fern entertains herself with dreams of growing up to be president while her brother, Graham, made frail by a bout of pneumonia, retreats into books. They live an uneventful life in 1940s rural Kentucky until their mother and father become temporarily absent. The children then move in with relatives including uncle Basil, a bully and predator. Fern, though unfamiliar with worldly matters, is suspicious and afraid of him.

Fern and Graham soon meet their teen-aged cousin, Iris, who has been abandoned by her nuclear family and is bitterly unfriendly. Fern is horrified at how the old aunts treat Iris, continually gossiping about her "loose" behavior. Despite several hostile encounters, Fern feels protective toward Iris and eventually they become devoted friends.

The children return home and Fern is separated from Iris. Lonely and naive, Fern does her best to navigate new friendships and keep family secrets. Distressing news about Iris provokes Fern's imagination and behavior, propelling her toward a turning point from innocent observer to passionate champion.

FERN is a compelling, intimate look inside the life of a young girl who courageously rises to the unexpected challenges of her small-town life. This poignant, disturbing, and often humorous tale carries the reader into a world of intrigue, sexual predation, loss, reconciliation, and hope. The coming-of-age themes in FERN are universal and timely.