Poet Ruth Lehrer’s young adult debut is a stunning, revelatory look at what defines and sustains “family.” And, just as it does for Fishkill, meeting Duck-Duck Farina and her mother will leave readers forever changed. Duck Duck is able to break through Fishkill’s rough exterior and bring her into a world she. This fragile new beginning is threatened by the reappearance of Fishkill’s unstable mother - and by unfathomable tragedy. Being Fishkill, which follows the life-changing journey of a 12-year-old girl born into unfortunate circumstances, will leave readers emotionally stunned as she is thrust into a new life after meeting a young girl named Chrissie Duck Duck Farina. But Fishkill’s fierce defenses falter when she meets eccentric optimist Duck-Duck Farina, and soon they, along with Duck-Duck’s mother, Molly, form a tentative family, even as Fishkill struggles to understand her place in it. Carmel Fishkill becomes Fishkill Carmel, who deflects her tormenters with a strong left hook and conceals her secrets from teachers and social workers.

At age thirteen, she begins to fight back. Poet Ruth Lehrer's young adult debut is a stunning, revelatory look at what defines and sustains 'family.' And, just as it does for Fishkill, meeting Duck-Duck Farina and her mother will leave readers forever changed.Fishkill Carmel fends for herself, with her fists if need be - until a thwarted lunch theft introduces her to strange, sunny Duck-Duck and a chance for a new start.īorn in the backseat of a moving car, Carmel Fishkill was unceremoniously pushed into a world that refuses to offer her security, stability, love. This fragile new beginning is threatened by the reappearance of Fishkill's unstable mother - and by unfathomable tragedy. But Fishkill's fierce defenses falter once she meets eccentric optimist Duck-Duck Farina, and soon they, along with Duck-Duck's mother, Molly, form a tentative family, even as Fishkill struggles to understand her place in it. At age thirteen-going-on-fifty, she begins to fight back.

Fishkill Carmel fends for herself, with her fists if need be - until a thwarted lunch theft introduces her to strange, sunny Duck-Duck, and a chance for a new start.īorn in the backseat of a moving car, Carmel Fishkill was unceremoniously pushed into a world that refuses to offer her security, stability, love.

Being fishkill by ruth lehrer