Out of necessity, feisty Alice Colossus has learned to make her own way. This twelve-year-old has a hearing disability that affects her spoken communication and, as the novel begins, she lives in an orphanage operated by a unique array of Catholic nuns. As Alice attempts to find out about her birth family, readers become caught up in the drama surrounding her search. Thoughtful readers will also begin to notice Maguire's accumulating array of images related to doubles, mirror images, opposites, twins and - sisters. Dualities abound: each nun and girl has two names, the city of Troy is half-dissolved in mist, a bus passenger becomes a savior as well as a persecutor, Alice lands the part of Eliza Doolittle and shares the two-pronged role with another girl. Maguire is on-target with several touchy matters, such as the characterization of a white couple of good will who adopted an African-American child during the 1960s. His playful sense of description and beautifully phrased prose complement a satisfying story with memorable characters. (Ages 9-12)

Twelve-year-old Alice, an orphan who has never been adopted because of her physical handicap and difficult personality, is shocked to discover she has an identical twin sister living nearby.