A novel about personal strength found in the midst of terrible grief—a harrowing tale of loss and redemption. Eli, 12, loses both his mother and sister to the 1878 yellow fever epidemic in Memphis. His father can't bear the tragedy and jumps a train out of the city, abandoning his son. Eli makes his way to Elmwood Cemetery for his sister's burial. There he is drawn to Grace, the so-called Graveyard Girl, who rings the bell for the dead and writes their names in the record. Grace tries to enlist Eli's help in caring for orphaned Addie but he resists, hoping that by remaining frozen and uncaring, he will also be unfettered. The opposite is true, however; only when he begins to help others do his own wounds begin to heal. With this book, Myers returns to the taut, deeply felt prose that marked her first novel, Red-Dirt Jessie (1992). The situation provides tension as well as horrifying historical details about the epidemic itself. The book ends on a hopeful note, but its unrelenting sadness will be difficult for some readers. (Fiction. 8-12)
Pub Date: Oct. 16, 1995
ISBN: 0-8027-8260-4
Page Count: 125
Publisher: Walker
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1995
Colorfully relayed and gratifying to read.
It’s 1974, and Josephine and Mama have given up their tony apartment and moved into the Happy World Trailer Park, in Glendale, Tennessee. Only problem is, it isn’t a happy place.
With Josephine’s dad gone and Mama’s sewing business suffering financially, they have no choice. The limited third-person narration describes Josephine’s views of “every miserable thing there was to see in Happy World,” from the rundown trailers to the residents who are facing challenges. Josephine meets Lisa Marie, who’s also 10 and who lives with her grandaddy and great-uncle. Lisa Marie tells her about a girl from the neighborhood named Molly, who was kidnapped nearly a year ago and hasn’t been found. Molly’s mom looks as if she’s barely hanging on. Josephine is struggling, too, but she’s convinced that she and Molly have “a kind of sisterhood,” and she’s sure that if she can rescue Molly, her own circumstances will become bearable. Things move quickly after Josephine recognizes and interprets a clue that might point to Molly’s whereabouts, leading to a thrilling and dangerous climax. The resulting relationships forged are well worth it all. Josephine’s resilience and ability to reassess herself and her situation are admirable. Difficult topics such as divorce, poverty, abduction, terminal illness, and incarceration are thoughtfully and age-appropriately explored. Most characters are cued white.
Colorfully relayed and gratifying to read. (author’s note) (Historical fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Oct. 24, 2023
ISBN: 9780823453696
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A riveting, courage-filled story.
Grief, memories, and the difficulty of letting go permeate this powerful story about family, friendship, and finding your voice.
Pandita Paul’s Bengali family includes two older twin sisters, Shar and Indy, and their father, Baba, but it has a gaping hole: their late Ma. This chasm is deepened as the nearby abandoned Johnson property, including the orchard Pandu and Ma called Ashar Jaiga, or place of hope, is being sold and developed for rental units. This demolition will take with it Pandu’s sweet recollections of enjoying the orchard’s apricots, flowers, and bird song with Ma. Things are changing too fast for Pandu. Worse, everyone seems to be moving on, including her ex–best friend and even Baba, who is dating The Intruder. But tentative friendships blossom at her summer drama camp even as Pandu, desperately clinging to her memories of Ma, is pitted against her own sister, who advocates for affordable housing in their Silicon Valley community. Set in the 1980s, this beautifully written book weaves together the Indian American Pauls’ personal histories as well as those of the U.S. and India. In trying to save the place she and her mother loved, the 13-year-old embarks on a journey that takes her down pathways of memory of earlier inhabitants of the Johnson house and the region. In doing so, Pandu gives wings to her words and her voice. There’s poetry here, along with literature and lots of culinary heritage, all combining in a deeply compelling read.
A riveting, courage-filled story. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: July 11, 2023
ISBN: 9780374388515
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
PERSPECTIVES
PERSPECTIVES
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