Winston has lived with Nanny, her grandmother, since she was four, when her mother lefter to try to become a star. Ten years have gone by and now Momma is ready to come home. To get her, Winton’s grandmother “borrows” the neighbor’s RV, unfortunately the neighbor’s teenage son is sleeping in it when they leave for Vegas.

This book is set in the early seventies during the summer Olympics. There are references to Elvis, Mark Spitz, Black September, and the Munich massacre. They color the story and set the timeline without confusing the reader who might feel like this was ancient history. Winston is funny, but hesitant to forgive her mother for leaving all those years ago. Stevie seems older than his years with his attitude, behavior and maturity. If you like stories about wayward mothers and learning to live without them you might also like [b:Beauty Shop for Rent: . . . fully equipped, inquire within|46648|Beauty Shop for Rent . . . fully equipped, inquire within|Laura Bowers|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386922241s/46648.jpg|45760] by Laura Bowers ( )

When your mother abandoned you when you were four and you have no clue who your dad is, it could be pretty scary to be a teen, but Winston's lucky. Her gram has raised her in a loving and structured way. In addition, Winston has Thelma, her dog. Gram has Denny, a one-legged rooster she adores to the point where she lets him into the house, where lots of newspapers get used.
Gram's past is interesting. She got pregnant by a guy who disappeared as soon as she told him. Leon, owner of the restaurant where she works (and really co-owns and manages) and real love of her life, couldn't handle her being pregnant and married someone else. While Gram still carries a torch, she's shut away her feelings, especially when working in the restaurant, concentrating on raising Winston instead. Because of her own history with men, not to mention that of Skye, Winston's mother, she's concerned that Winston may follow in their footsteps.
Winston, however, has a pretty good head on her shoulders. She has a crush on Mark Spitz, has her own dream of becoming an olympic swimmer and knows she wants to go to college. She works as a busser in the restaurant after school and during vacations. A bit on the busty side, she really doesn't like wearing a bra and has developed a habit of shucking it while at work and hiding it in the freezer. One of her job-related duties is to water plants at Leon's fancy home. She has a secret crush on his son Steve who she doesn't think even knows she exists. Leon, his wife and Steve are supposed to be in Europe watching the Olympics. After giving in to the urge to strip and swim laps in the pool at Leon's, Winston can't help herself. She sneaks into Steve's room, terribly curious about what it looks like.
Steve, however, didn't go with his parents for reasons that are integral to a later part of the story. He catches her in his room, and she runs off, leaving her bra behind in their freezer, because, after all, old habits are hard to break. When he sees her on the street not long afterward, he shocks (and thrills) her by giving her an on-the-mouth real kiss before jumping into a car full of his football buddies.
Thus begins an extremely interesting odyssey, one not only of distance, but of emotion and discovery. After two letters arrive, sent by Skye from Las Vegas, begging Gram to come get her, Gram decides since Leon is in Europe, she'll steal his new motorhome and drive to Las Vegas and rescue her wayward daughter. A hundred miles down the road, they discover Steve has stowed away because he's as interested in Winston as she is in him. The journey is full of interesting discoveries, some geographic, most insightful and emotional. While there are disappointments in Las Vegas, what happens when everyone returns to Florida more than make up for them.
I loved Carol's book Waiting, perhaps the most emotional book I've read in years. This one is as good, but in different ways. Quirky, short-chaptered and really getting inside Winston's head in ways that younger teen girls will really relate to, it's a no-brainer addition to any library. ( )

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

My Summary: Set in the 1970's, Signed, Skye Harper follows fourteen-year-old Winston Fletcher as she discovers that the mother who left her ten years ago to become an actress is alive and in need of help. Together with her grandmother Nanny and Steve - the son of the owner of the RV - they set out for Las Vegas to find Winston's mother and bring her home.

My Thoughts: Although this novel was set in the 1970's, it felt as if I was reading a modern coming-of-age story. Winston was an extremely relatable character, and the situations addressed by the author have a timeless quality about them; first loves and forgiveness as well as second chances and absentee parents combine to make this a novel that could be set in any time period and still .resonate with readers.

I really liked the cover, and I feel that it fits well with the story. The colours and model's expression in the picture reflect the overall atmosphere of the novel as well as Winston's uncertainty about the trip, her mother, and growing up.

I also really enjoyed the humour, and the little moments here and there that made you stop and think. I'll definitely be on the lookout for more by Carol Lynch Williams!

Final Thoughts: I recommend this novel to younger fans of contemporary literature as well as fans of romance and family-oriented novels. ( )

Chapters are short (single sentence short at times), but the narrator is consistent and the story moves along. My main gripe was that most of the interactions and character movement existed to fit the plot rather than mark any actual growth within the characters. That being said, it was a pretty innocent look at first love and a broken home that many families would appreciate (though the male character does refer to the protagonist female as "sexy" numerous times, it comes across as a phrase he's heard but doesn't really understand. Like I said, the book feels pretty innocent. ( )