The Keening by A. LaFaye

Lyza Layton lives in a small town in Maine and the flu epidemic has taken ahold of their town hard.  She watches everyday as the funeral march passes by her cliffs after spending her days carving letters into wooden signs. 

Her mom makes their money by sewing, and her dad carves faces into stone.  Beautiful carvings that are very lifelike.  The townsfolk call her dad crazy because he forgets to eat, clothe or clean himself unless her mom reminds him.

When the flu takes her mother's life suddenly, Lyza doesn't know what to do.  The town wants to admit her father into the asylum farm but she will do anything to make sure that doesn't happen.

When she finds a notebook in her mom's keepsake box addressed to her, she finds the name of a man she must find, a man who will ensure that her dad will remain out of the asylum.  

But on Lyza's journey to the big city to find him, she finds out something about herself.  She does have a talent besides letter carving, and she understands her dad now in a way she never did before.

The Keening is a short and simple story, but yet it is memorable.  The characters of Lyza and her dad are remarkable and complex.  Set against the backdrop of the Maine coast, The Keening is haunting, memorable, and highly recommended.