The Secrets of Peaches

THE SECRETS OF PEACHES: Jodi Lynn Anderson: HarperTempest: Young Adult: 297 pgs.

In this sequel to Peaches, three unlikely friends--Murphy, Birdie, and Leeda--struggle to remain close while facing problems that lead them in separate directions. Murphy, who has always longed to escape her tiny Georgia town, suddenly finds herself reluctant to leave her mother and her boyfriend. Leeda's relationship with her mother becomes so strained that she isolates herself from both her family and her friends. And Birdie pines for her boyfriend who has returned to Mexico, as she considers a future that doesn't include taking over the family peach farm.

This is the perfect readalike for fans of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Well-written, contemporary fiction that realistically addresses friendship, family, and relationships, it's a nicely paced, satisfying read.

MBC