Jemmy is about a biracial teen living just off a reservation in Northern Minnesota. Her Native American mother passed away long ago and her white father's inability to hold a job or care for her younger siblings leaves much responsibility to Jemmy. So much so, that her father decides she must leave school. Jemmy finds her self a famous artist's model after a blizzard lands her stranded on his family's doorstep. There is much to be admired in the character of Jemmy and, as usual, in Hassler's writing. The themes of poverty, alcoholism, and racial identity are relevant. However, the novel deals with them in a somewhat dated way. Thoughtful teens might find something within the pages, but others will find it too foreign and slow. ( )