Somewhere Still

This is a coming-of-age story and begins when Jean, the protagonist, is 17 years old.  The story follows Jean through the devastating loss of her mother and into a much bigger and more complicated world than she could ever have imagined her future to be.

Ms. Ward does a great job in describing the 1920s era from the secretive speakeasies to the social and political climate surrounding women's organizations which were energized with the  passage of the19th amendment.  Due to the influence of a strong women's group, Jean was able to secure the job of an elevator operator which was usually a man's job in the twenties.   It's a good paying job at a luxury hotel and enables the story to take some interesting turns.

While it touches on the women's movement and the power of sisterhood, it also reveals the social and cultural aspect of race in that era. Jean's relationships with the other tenants in her apartment complex is beautifully written and you understand how difficult social norms made friendships between the races. Whether it's the main character or her friends or other tenants, all the characters in this book are well-developed.  The characters and plot are believable and the story has a wonderful sense of place.

I think the title of the book is superb.  Once you read the book, you'll know to what the title refers.  Plus the word 'somewhere' is used in different aspects through the story. It's a very enjoyable read and the story moves at a good pace.

As you can tell by the cover this is book one in a series.