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The heroine of this children's book, who I regret to say is named Gypsy, acquires a new live-in family member when her cousin Woodrow moves in after his mother, Belle Prater, vanishes without a trace or explanation. It's 1953 Virginia and they're both twelve.
Most of this book is a gentle, well-written story about their relationship. It's a good book, objectively speaking, and I generally enjoyed reading it, but it's a 1996 Newbery Honor book and it is SO Newbery Honor.
There are two central mysteries in this book. One is why Gypsy's father committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. He was a firefighter who was burned on the job, but had recovered before inexplicably killing himself.
Belle Prater's disappearance is set up as this big mystery. She vanished without a trace, no one saw her go, none of her possessions were missing, there was no sign of violence, and her husband wasn't abusive. Woodrow says there was a magical place in their backyard and he thinks she stepped into it. But this is a Newbery book so...
( Read more... )
That aside, it's quite well-written and atmospheric. I can see why it was a Newbery book. In more ways than one.
Most of this book is a gentle, well-written story about their relationship. It's a good book, objectively speaking, and I generally enjoyed reading it, but it's a 1996 Newbery Honor book and it is SO Newbery Honor.
There are two central mysteries in this book. One is why Gypsy's father committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. He was a firefighter who was burned on the job, but had recovered before inexplicably killing himself.
Belle Prater's disappearance is set up as this big mystery. She vanished without a trace, no one saw her go, none of her possessions were missing, there was no sign of violence, and her husband wasn't abusive. Woodrow says there was a magical place in their backyard and he thinks she stepped into it. But this is a Newbery book so...
( Read more... )
That aside, it's quite well-written and atmospheric. I can see why it was a Newbery book. In more ways than one.
