Life has been pretty easy for Rachel until recently. She and her friend Micah would spend hours biking and swimming. Rachel didn't even mind when her parents insisted that she take her little sister Ivy along.
Unfortunately, Rachel's parents have been fighting lately. The subject of those fights is usually money. Her mother lost her job as a school librarian because of budget cuts, and her father's job as a realtor is not paying enough to keep the bills paid. When Rachel is offered a job by their new neighbors, she hopes to pitch in and help with the family's expenses.
Taking care of a pig named Lucy, a baby steer named Ferdinand, plus chickens, horses, and a couple of goats turns out to be a fun way to earn some needed money. It isn't always easy, but Rachel loves the animals and knows people are counting on her. At least the job helps her keep her mind off the fact that Micah is suddenly interested in one of her friends, while Rachel struggles with her own sexual identity and her own attraction to another girl in her grade.
When it becomes clear that the family money trouble is serious, Rachel realizes she will be leaving the house that has been HOME to her family for as long as she can remember. What will happen to their own family pets, her pony Rainbow and her sister's cat George? Will she still get to take care of the neighbors' animals, and will she still be friends with Micah?
Author Jo Knowles has crafted a tale about family and friends and what home really means. Readers will easily relate to Rachel's struggles as she works to discover her true self and how that fits with being a good daughter, sister, and friend. WHERE THE HEART IS needs to have a place in every library and middle grade classroom.
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