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the LITERARY HILL A Compendium of Readers, Writers, Books, & Events by Karen Lyon
Top Dog
141/2 and Never Been Kissed
to reassess her priorities and open herself up to new possibilities. Slowly, “the forcefield of protection” she has erected around herself begins to crack, allowing her to envision a new way forward. And she even gets the answer to one of her burning questions. “Girl, Unstrung” is an insightful and entertaining coming-of-age story filled with a lot of heart, humor (including Dad jokes), and love. Handscombe has done a masterful job of embodying a teenager’s growing pains in the character of Clara, whose future may not be what she imagined but whose success as a fully realized human being is almost certainly guaranteed. Claire Handscombe is the author of a previous novel, “Unscripted,” and the editor of “Walk With Us: How ‘The West Wing’ Changed Our Lives.” A native of the UK, she hosts the Brit Lit Podcast, works at East City Bookshop, and can be found on Twitter @bookishclaire.
Meet Milton, Capitol Hill’s self-proclaimed “Top Dog.” As a 16-year-old elder statesman (112 in dog To say that Clara Cassidy has a game years), he firmly believes that his age and experiplan would be something of an unence entitle him to some respect. And he’d be the derstatement. The Pasadena high first to tell you so! school freshman and viola virtuoIn “Milton,” author Linda Bowles tells the stoso has her future all laid out: first, ry of a feisty one-eyed Jack Russell terrier with a the Los Angeles High School for the rakish eyepatch who comes to stay with her when Arts, then on to Julliard, and evenhis family goes on vacation. “They went to Floritually a chair (preferably first) in a da,” he huffs. “I went across the river to Virginia. symphony. In the meantime, though, WHAT???” she’s grappling with a new school, At first, Milton suffers from a little separation a celebrity father who hogs all the anxiety, but he eventually makes himself at home— attention, a stepmother she resents, although he is by no means the perfect housegand worrisome questions such as uest. He crowds his hostess to the edge of the bed An ambitious young viola player what people do with their noses suffers growing pains and learns and stubbornly stiffens his legs when he gets tired when they kiss. some hard truths in Claire Handof walking. And then there was that little accident. In her new novel, “Girl, Unscombe’s “Girl, Unstrung.” “When you gotta go, well, strung,” Claire Handyou gotta go!,” he breezily s c o m b e t e n d e r ly offers by way of explanation. probes the angst-ridCharmingly illustratden ups and downs ed by artist Julia Gonzales, of being an accom“Milton” is a funny and enplished but unformed gaging story for kids and teenage girl. “It’s too for anybody who has taken complicated, and too a dog into their lives—and uncomfortable, all their hearts. Bowles says that these different emohaving Milton as her housegtions,” says Clara, uest was frustrating at times. who chooses instead Linda Bowles tells the story of “He was like a cantankerous to keep her emotional a feisty Capitol Hill dog who old man, set in his ways and becomes a reluctant houseguest distance by being anin “Milton.” not about to change them.” gry—except that “it’s Funky DC But, as in the book, she had exhausting being mad Andréa Seiger not only a little tear in her eye when all the time.” Then knows all the curious corners of DC, but she also his Capitol Hill family came there’s the problem of boys—or, accan entertain you with endlessly fascinating stories to pick him up. “Milton retually, of one boy in particular. Tim, about them. In “111 Places in Washington That mains in my heart,” she with his swoopy hair, begins to make You Must Not Miss,” she goes beyond the usual writes, “as a very special litinroads into her well-protected heart, tourist sites to explore the quirkier side of the natle guy.” but Clara puts her foot down. “I’m tion’s capital. Did you know that the REI store on Linda Bowles is a renot going to be that pathetic pining the site of the old Uline Arena has a concert corner tired R.N. who lives in stereotype of a teenage girl,” she ascommemorating the Beatles’ 1964 concert there? Northern Virginia. “Milton” serts. “I’m better than that.” Or that DC is home to the nation’s oldest continuis her first book, but, happily, Alas, as they often do, her bestously operating miniature golf course? she’s planning a follow-up. laid plans take a tumble, forcing Clara 108 H HILLRAG.COM
