December (Vintage Contemporaries) - Softcover

"A modern fairy tale.... December offers the pleasures of beautifully composed scenes and...an exact rendering of a child's acute perceptions."--The New York Times Book Review"Winthrop carefully and expertly builds the layers of her characters until they are deeply, beautifully drawn.... December is as brilliant and hopeful as its protagonist." --The Plain Dealer"Winthrop's prose is crisp and poised and her characterizations convincing.... These people feel lived in and authentic."--The New York Observer

Centered on a young girl who inexplicably stops speaking, Decemberis a riveting and insightful portrait of a family in crisis.Nine months after eleven-year-old Isabelle suddenly fell silent, her parents, Wilson and Ruth, are at their wits' end. And what began as self-protection has spiraled beyond Isabelle's control; she has become trapped in her silence, horrified by the pain she is causing and terrified of losing her old self to this cold young girl she barely recognizes. Isabelle must confront her overwhelming anger and love for her family, a cast of charming yet dangerous characters, and her own fears, before finally finding her voice.