Author:  Erica Miner
ISBN:  978-1-933449-73-9

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From the minute I began reading this book, I was taken back to a time period where my closest friends and I were:  walking down the school hallways dreaming about all the wonderful things that would happen in our future (when we got out of the “stuffy” old school; gossiping in my best friend’s bedroom in the middle of the night about the ONE’s that we were madly in love with; and, the dark movie theater where we giggled about something that was way more important than the movie, upsetting all the people around us who actually wanted to hear the movie.  This is that kind of fantastic novel that is so well-written that the sights, sounds, anxiety, and dreams of yesterday come to the forefront of your mind.
 
It is the 1960’s, one of the most tumultuous times in history – especially for teenager’s who thrive on angst.  Jessica is a violinist and her best friend is Marguerite, a master at the cello.  They met in a special school for gifted students and have been friends ever since.  Now, Tamara and Jessica have been friends since they were ten years old, although they have grown apart recently because of how different their interests became – sort of like apples and oranges as they grew older – but they’re still very close and care a great deal for one another.  Rachel makes up the foursome; she’s one of those outgoing, fun girls who just loves life and doesn’t want to waste one moment of it.  When they met Rachel, the group went from The Three Musketeers to the FourEver Friends. 
 
The reader has an absolute ball watching the four girls as they struggle through everything from love and romance, to the politics and social prejudice that surround them every day.  One of the most interesting storylines for me was Jessica and the “love of her life,” Gunter.  Gunter is five years older, and where Jessica is from a Jewish immigrant family, Gunter is not and Jessica’s mom has a hard time with these differences.  Marguerite dislikes Gunter for a whole other reason; Jessica is her best friend, and Marguerite is a little unsure of him and what his intentions actually are. 
 
Jessica wants nothing more than to make her father proud; a man who would’ve been the very best musician in his time except for the fact that when the Great Depression hit he had to get a job in a factory and lost his fingers in an accident.  So Jessica practices her violin constantly, as she faces a new romance at a Summer Youth Music Camp (her first real taste of freedom), new friendships, and the changing times. 
 
All different sights, sounds, and historical references – including JFK’s Labor Day speech in the Motor City; the “melting pot” that America was trying desperately to become, rallying behind Martin Luther King; Cuba, Castro, and Columbia sit-ins that changed a nation and sparked a generation to rise up and try to better their country…all of this history will make readers laugh, cry, and relive monumental moments through the eyes of absolute innocence. 
 
I have a daughter who is eighteen years old now, and is looking forward to getting her own place, going out to college, and beginning her future.  When I see that absolute glow in her eyes and realize that she’s about to embark on something fantastic, I always know that like FourEver Friends, she’ll remember her youth with a smile.  Enjoy this…it’s one of a kind!
 

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