NO SAINTS IN KANSAS

This YA fiction retells the events in Truman Capote's IN COLD BLOOD from an adolescent's point of view. Narrator Eva Kaminsky's delivery is a terrific fit for the voice of high school student Carly Fleming, an ex-New Yorker who has moved to Kansas. The horrific murder of the Clutter family in 1959 gained national attention, drawing newspaper journalists and authors Capote and Harper Lee to the small town of Holcomb. Kaminsky skillfully portrays outsider Carly, who is ostracized and bullied by classmates for spending her time tutoring Nancy Clutter, and then for supporting Nancy's boyfriend, Bobby, the only suspect in the murders. While some of Carly's investigative activities stretch credibility, Brashear's novel will bring a piece of history closer to today's teens, perhaps encouraging them to read Capote's account. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2018]