Set in New Orleans, Louisiana, on the eve of World War II, Mischief and
Malice is a brand new work from an iconic figure in young adult
literature. Following the death of her Aunt Eveline, fourteen-year old
Addie--who we first met in Berthe Amoss's classic Secret Lives--is now
living with her Aunt Tooise, Uncle Henry, and her longtime rival cousin,
Sandra Lee. A new family has just moved into Addie's former house,
including a young girl who is just Addie's age. Meanwhile, Louis, the
father of Tom, Addie's lifelong neighbor and best friend, suddenly
returns after having disappeared when Tom was a baby. Between school
dances, organizing a Christmas play, fretting about her hair, and a
blossoming romance with Tom, Addie stumbles upon a mystery buried in the
Great Catch All, an ancient giant armoire filled with heirlooms of her
family's past, which holds a devastating secret that could destroy Louis
and Tom's lives. Once again, Berthe Amoss has created an indelible
portrait of a young girl coming of age in prewar New Orleans.
Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Berthe Amoss is the
author and illustrator of twenty-eight children's and young adult books.
Her picture book The Cajun Gingerbread Boy won a Children's Choice
Award, and her YA novel The Chalk Cross was a finalist for the Edgar
Allen Poe Award. She lives on the Gulf Coast in Pass Christian,
Mississippi.
