This is one of those books I bought only because my
neighborhood book club voted to discuss it. Boy, am I glad I did. It turned out
to be so different from most books I've read, and so interesting I couldn't put
it down. One way it is different is that it is told in short episodes rather
than scenes and chapters. There are enough descriptions for the reader to
visualize the people and the places, but that's not the important part. As a
father, my concern was for Rory Dawn Hendrix, the little child called girlchild
by her mother when she tucked her in at night. I wanted to know if Rory would
survive the life dealt her. Would she live, and would she grow up unharmed
emotionally?
In addition to Rory, the main characters are Rory's mother, Johanna
Ruth Hendrix, and her grandmother, Shirley Rose. "Mothering is not this
family's strong suit," Rory observes. Still, Rory's mother tries hard to
protect her daughter. She knows the evils young girls face growing up in a trailer
park with few friends and family, while being left alone. Rory is smart, smart
enough to lose the spelling bee on purpose to make life easier for herself and
her mother.
Another way the book is different is the way a real person
is inserted into the story. A playmate
of Rory's, Vivian Buck, was the daughter of Carrie Buck who was sterilized for
being feebleminded in the 1920's. We don't know if this playmate was a ghost or
what, but, in real life, Vivian died before the time of Rory's story. I didn't
find this confusing, though. It made the book more interesting to me.
This book will make you think and feel, and after you've read
it, you'll feel satisfied while wanting to know more.
Book Trailer:
Book Trailer:
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