Sue Ellen Bridgers writes about a world she knows intimately: the rural South. A native of North Carolina, Bridgers provides readers with a geographical and emotional atlas of that territory in a series of critically acclaimed novels for young adults. With such award-winning novels as All Together Now, Notes for Another Life, and Permanent Connections, Bridgers has not only painted the landscape of that region, but also the ebb and flow of everyday life. Her portraits of young people facing difficult decisions and situations on the way to maturity reveal her belief in the ability of family and place to bring self-awareness, comfort, and healing. Her novels deal with emotional and physical trials, including social rejection, the death of parents, and mental illness. According to an essayist in the St. James Guide to Young Adult Writers, the "strengths of Bridgers' novels include their clear sense of place (typically...