Fin & Lady

Guardians. Within a few pages, I was hooked by the charming characters in Cathleen Schine’s novel, Fin & Lady. Schine set this novel in the 1960s, and she describes that turbulent time period with wit and through great dialogue and descriptive language. The protagonists are half-siblings and while the older Lady has legal guardianship over eleven-year-old Fin, her panache leads to his strong feelings of responsibility for her. They are both children, and rely heavily on each other. In Dickens, they would be poor orphans. Schine prefers portraits of wealth: they live in a Manhattan apartment with cleaning and cooking provided by Mabel, the maid who comes there every day. They slip off to Capri every summer. While this is not the story of average orphans, their unconventional life resonates for every reader: caring for those we love with diligence. I enjoyed this novel from beginning to the very satisfying end. Rating: Five-star (I love it) Click here to purchase Fin & Lady from amazon.com.