Miller’s Valley is a coming of age novel about Mimi Miller, a girl growing up in the 1960s in rural Pennsylvania. Mimi and her family live on the same farm their family has lived on contentedly for generations. But things in Miller's Valley are beginning to change. Mimi’s dad is a farmer, but he’s really the fix-it man for the entire town. Mimi’s mom is a nurse who still manages to be around to raise Mimi and her two brothers. Mimi’s aunt, Ruth, also lives in a little house on their farm. In fact, she hasn’t left the inside of her house for many years. Over the years, their valley has been prone to flooding and lately the government has been pressing the neighbors to sell out and relocate to town. There is talk turning the valley into a recreational reservoir.
Anna Quindlen captures the authentic and flawed characters of Miller’s Valley with her signature spare and engaging style. I laughed out loud at the similarities between these characters and some people I have known, and I cried over the real-life tragedies included on the pages. I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a meaningful and quiet novel full of authentically flawed characters.