Where the Creeks Meet is yet another entry in the Mormon young-adult fiction market. Written for mid- to older-teens, it tells the story of two families whose lives cross in a remarkable, and notable, manner.

The Lassiter family is moving from California to Blue Creek, a small town in Idaho. The move is prompted by their parents' desire to leave the California lifestyle and settle in a quieter place. The eldest child, Ashley, is most unhappy, because she's leaving behind her boyfriend, Richard. They are deeply in love (as deeply as high school students can be in love.)

Soon Ashley becomes acquainted with the McFadden family. They are, to say the least, a large family -- nine children, with one more on the way. Ashley befriends the eldest daughter, LeeAnne, a troubled girl in a desperate search for her own identity. As a form of self-expression, she changes her name from time to time, trying to find one that fits better than LeeAnne McFadden. She is currently calling herself Racine Wisconsin!

But the town of Blue Creek holds many secrets. Many years ago, a young man by the name of Gideon watched helplessly as his younger brother drowned in the rushing waters of a nearby river. Plagued with guilt, he blamed himself for his brothers' death, never coming to terms with the tragedy. Now, it is said, Gideon's ghost haunts Blue Creek. Can it be true? Can there really be a ghost living in the old house located "Where the Creeks Meet"? Is Gideon really a ghost, or is he a young man haunted by his past, unable to break free of the cycle of guilt and blame that has haunted his family for decades?

All of the major players in this book are dealing with some aspect of their past. For Racine, caught in an endless cycle of new brothers and sisters, to Ashley, desperately wanting to be with her boyfriend, to Gideon, life presents a vexing question -- how do you deal with that part of life which is now gone, and cannot be re-played? Why must life be an endless cycle of loving, leaving and suffering?

When Richard, Ashley's boyfriend from California, comes to visit, the story takes an interesting turn as Ashley must now decide whether to elope with her boyfriend or stay behind with her family. And with Richard's arrival, the other characters likewise find themselves facing their own pasts, their own follies.

Author Littke does a fine job of playing the characters against each other. Each develops against each others' triumphs and failures. And each grows in wisdom and self-understanding.

Missing from this book is the preachiness you expect from such works. There are only three hints of Mormonism -- mention of Mutual and Pioneer Day, and the size of the McFadden family. The word "Mormon" is never used; neither are churches and priesthood offices mentioned.

This may have been most remarkable. Outward religion is virtually absent from the book. I wondered what was so Mormon about this book? I then realized that Littke was skillfully teaching the principles of the Gospel without ever calling them by their proper names. Vertical religion -- that which connects with God explicitly through prayer and repentance -- is not represented. Instead, horizontal religion -- connecting people through common suffering and celebrating -- this is the essence of Where the Creeks Meet. Forgiveness and redemption, family and friendship, all play important roles in this book.

Littke is a fine writer, about the task of telling a good story. Although the story-line is fairly predictabln, the characters are well-drawn, situations are nicely played out. Young readers will enjoy this book if you can find a copy. It is a fine example, in my opinion, of how young adult fiction should be written.

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Jeff Needle
jeff.needle@general.com