ASA JAMES

Dysfunctional families always make good drama and author Jodi Lew-Smith certainly creates one in ASA JAMES. Orphan Asa, raised at a Vermont "poor house," yearns to follow Charles Darwin’s path as a budding scientist-illustrator. Leaving that home, he lands a job as a tutor in Mansfield Hall—and promptly encounters not only the love of his life but also an out-of-sorts community.  A well-written novel showcases likable characters who eventually face reality.