Zoe lives with her mom and step dad. Her biological father, Mark, has been in prison since before Zoe was born, a convicted murderer. Zoe hasn't spent much time thinking about her bio-dad, since she has never met him, but on Zoe's 12th birthday she finds a letter addressed to her from him. She is intrigued, especially when he states in the letter that he has written to her before. She sends a reply and they start a clandestine communication. When Mark claims that he has been wrongfully convicted, Zoe, with the help of her newly reconciled best friend, is determined to prove her father's innocence.This is another children's book that has received a lot of starred reviews lately. Zoe is a likeable character, and her mom comes off believably damaged by her past relationship with Mark. I was a little disappointed that it turned out that her bio-dad was innocent. It is just too fairytale-ish. For most kids whose dad's are in prison, their dads really are guilty, and the kids have to learn to deal with that. I can see why a kid would much rather read this story, with its happy ending, but it is a bit too "Cinderella" for an adult. (291 p. 2020)
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