Running Barefoot by Amy Harmon

Summary:(from goodreads) When Josie Jensen, an awkward 13-year-old musical prodigy, crashes headlong into new kid Samuel Yazzie, an 18-year-old Navajo boy full of anger and confusion, an unlikely friendship blooms. Josie teaches Samuel about words, music, and friendship, and along the way finds a kindred spirit. Upon graduation, Samuel abandons the sleepy, small town in search of a future and a life, leaving his young mentor behind. Many years go by, and Samuel returns to find his old friend in need of the very things she offered him years before. Their roles reversed, Samuel teaches Josie about life, love, and letting go.
Review: This is one of those books that focuses on love, hope and friendship. I loved the premise of the story and thought it played out really well. I really like the way that books and music were incorporated into this story It gave the plot and characters a lot of substance. It added a extra layer to the story and I really liked the parts of the book that led to intelligent discussions about books and music. I also love the small town setting. Levan seemed like a great place to spend time even if there's not much going on most of the time.   Josie was a really great character She was genuinely kind and sweet, but definitely had her own share of problems. I liked that this book spanned several years of her life. It really allowed her a lot of time to grow and change. I enjoyed all of the time that Josie and Samuel spent together and even though many aspects of this book were fairly predictable I still enjoyed this book quite a bit. Even though the premise is simple it is played out really well and I felt like these characters were my good friends by the end of the book. My only complaint is that the book was a little bit slow sometimes It felt like things could have been a little faster paced. Overall, this book is a good, sweet, romantic read.