Amy Junior

“Amy Junior”, the sequel to “Connie’s Legacy”, tells the story of Mike and Amy Hanson’s daughter, also named Amy and known as Amy Junior. When the story opens Amy Junior is beginning an MBA program. Both Mike and Amy are dead, Amy having died during childbirth and Mike on the day of Amy Junior’s kindergarten graduation. Amy has been raised by her mother’s younger sister, Christine, who is serving as interim president of Grandma’s Self-Storage until Amy assumes control of the company upon completing her MBA and her training program at Grandma’s. In spite of her parents’ deaths, they remain a presence in Amy’s life, through a series of video recordings Mike made for her for milestone events in her life (birthdays, graduations, etc.). Mike did this in recognition of the fact that, as he became a father at age 81, he would almost certainly not be around for her entire childhood. ”Amy Junior” focuses upon a number of Amy’s relationships while in graduate school. Primary among these is her developing romance with John Adams, a fellow MBA student and, as they soon come to realize, the son of Grandma’s managers Jack and April Adams and a recipient of a full scholarship from Grandma’s designated for employees’ children. Amnesia induced by an injury John receives while he and Amy are helping a neighbor of Amy’s during a hurricane estranges them and nearly separates them permanently. During that period of separation a number of other relationships in Amy’s life are explored, including ones with fellow student Sally Grainger, long time summer neighbor and first love Gary Phillips, her grandmother, and her Aunt Christine. “Amy Junior” takes some surprising turns as a number of sexual relationships, involving various characters, are explored. As in “Connie’s Legacy”, all of the characters, both primary and secondary, are distinctive and engaging. I highly recommend “Amy Junior” as it is involving and well-written, with various unexpected twists and turns and a satisfying conclusion that brings closure to all of the major story lines. V. Spitalniak, M.L.S.