Miller's Valley by Anna Quindlen

How would you feel if the government decided to flood your neighborhood, permanently submerging the home you grew up and the land you love? It's the 1960s and the Miller family of Miller Valley is facing that very situation. Mimi Miller is a bright, hardworking teen facing an uncertain future. Her mother thinks it would be fine to move away, her father will fight to his dying breath to keep the farm that has been in his family for generations. And then there's Mimi's brother, Tommy. He can't seem to figure out what he wants to do with his life, so he joins the Marines--only to be sent off to a faraway land called Vietnam, from which he returns changed forever. Their stories unfold on the pages of Miller's Valley, the newest book by Anna Quindlen.

Mimi is a sympathetic heroine. She knows she's smart and that there are other opportunities out there but she does love the land. She tries to be a loyal friend and a good daughter, but she's no goody-goody. She works so hard to be there for everyone that you're really hoping that she gets to do what she wants eventually.

Ann Quindlen is a gifted storyteller and I was soon pulled into the story of the Miller family. And I couldn't wait to see what happened to the valley and to Mimi.However, there was one very odd twist near the end involving a suitcase in the attic that I'd love for someone to explain to me.