Some Things That Stay is the second of the 4 novels I recently purchased. It’s a coming of age story of a 15 year old girl who is moved every year with her family to a new place by her artist father, always in search of new inspiration for his paintings. Themes of religion, loss, love, and the ability to change resonate throughout the novel. I liked this one as well, but didn’t connect to the characters quite as much as I did to Whistling in the Dark or The Book of Bright Ideas.
I especially liked the conflicted feelings the main character has about religion. Raised by atheists, she is exposed to Christianity by her Baptist neighbors. She never experiences what the others seem to in church, but she desperately wants to feel connected, to feel that there is a Grand Scheme to things. I think most people experience this, whether religious or not, the desire for community, to feel connected. I thought Sarah did an excellent job of portraying this, without beating us over the head with either atheism or Christianity.
I would recommend this one as well.