Baby Blue [Deckle Edge] [Hardcover]

Michelle D. Kwasney (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2004

We sat at the kitchen table, across from each other. In the same spots we sat for dinner up till a month ago. The shadows on the table looked like prison bars again. This time it was Star being caged. Star, who thought leaving made her free. That life would be all hunky-dory shampooing heads and sweeping floors while Mama got slapped around-far enough away so she wouldn't have to hear the screams.
That's when I knew for sure-I couldn't leave Mama. And Star couldn't make me any more than I could make her stay.

A painfully beautiful novel that exposes the haunting world of spousal abuse

Blue's family is coming apart at the seams. After Pa drowned in the river, Mama up and married Jinx, whom Blue and Star know is big trouble. And now Star has run away, leaving Blue behind. It was hard enough to watch Mama get knocked around when Jinx was in one of his "moods," but now, with Star gone, Jinx has spun out of control. It's up to Blue to find Star and get help for Mama, to piece the family back together again. But Blue is running out of time.

With biting realism and poignancy, this compelling young-adult novel explores Blue's struggle to protect her family and stand up against what she knows is wrong.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9--A sensitive and realistic coming-of-age story about personal loss, love, abuse, and complex family relationships. Blue, 12, must grow up in a hurry after Pa dies; Mama marries the abusive Jinx; and her older sister, Star, runs away. Pa, a hapless but harmless gambler, haunts Blue's memory--she's convinced that if she hadn't insisted on going to the river that day, he might not have drowned trying to save a small boy. Kwasney's poignant story of love and broken dreams features a tough, sensitive, and frightened heroine with more sense and gumption than those around her. Readers are vividly transported to 1976, to poor, rural Massachusetts, complete with scratchy AM pop tunes on transistor radios, flowered peasant blouses and gauzy skirts, and the oppressive heat of summer with air conditioning that never works. Blue sees through Jinx's false promises of reform and seesaws between support and frustration at her mother's helplessness. Her pluck and fear, her resistance to Jinx's taunting, and her resolve to find Star propel this novel into a tense climax that will either shatter the family forever or give them the chance to heal and rebuild their lives together.--Roxanne Myers Spencer, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 6-10. Wife abuse is at the center of this powerful first novel, told from the viewpoint of Blue, 13, whose stepdad, Jinx, is out of control. Blue's mother does nothing to stop the violence against her, always forgiving Jinx, helpless to change things, trying to keep her job waiting tables. What moves the story beyond case history is the depth of the family relationships and the honesty about everyone's guilt and grief. All their memories of "real Pa" are idyllic, and they all feel guilty about his drowning, but the reader knows from the first chapter that, loving as he was, Pa was also deeply flawed. Best of all is the truth of Blue's changing relationship with her beloved older sister and mentor, Star, and the sense of betrayal when Star leaves home. As in Carolyn Coman's What Jamie Saw (1995), the violence is terrifying, especially the view of battered adults who can't cope, but there's hope at the end here when neighbors call the police and Blue and her family move on. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); First Edition edition (April 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805070508
• ISBN-13: 978-0805070507
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,911,438 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, the oldest of three girls. I was a quiet, bookish kid who was always drawing. In high school I took creative writing classes and began writing poetry, something that continued into college. I've taught art in the public schools for over twenty years-first in New York, and now in western Massachusetts, where I live with my partner and two spoiled cats. I began writing for kids and teens over ten years ago, and my first novel, Baby Blue, was published in 2004. Since then I've written five more, the second of which, Itch, was published in April 2008. As a writer, I always root for the underdog. I feel a great deal of satisfaction when I'm giving a voice to the voice-less.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sensitive, Realistic, Unforgetable, March 30, 2004

By 

Peace Finder "donotlistmyname" (The World) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Baby Blue (Hardcover)

This wonderful novel gripped me from the first page. I literally could not put it down. The character development was so realistic and so compelling that I feel as if I know Star, Blue, Ceil, and even Jinx and Pa like family. I remember that as I read the first chapters I wished I could hurry the story along because I was so invested in the story as it unfolded. Then, as I got to the end of the book, I didn't want it to end. I got a decaf, a popsicle, etc... just trying to prolong the beautiful drama and emotions I felt as I read it. Also, the author's descriptions, like the "fruit stripe gum" lamp, just etched this clear picture in my mind that is unforgetable. I hope this is just the beginning for this author, as I am looking forward to more. As a teacher, I can see how this novel, with it's sensitive handling of a difficult topic, could be ideal for the curriculum of most middle schools and high schools. I honestly haven't felt so caught up in a book since I re-read Jane Eyre last summer. I hope many others will read it and post their reviews, as I will be interested in your impressions.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource for teachers!, May 30, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Baby Blue (Hardcover)

Baby Blue is a very realistic and emotional story with a strong message. It lets all the "Blues" of the world realize that they are not alone, and it may give them the strength to look for a solution to their situation. Michelle Kwasney writes in a manner that allows the reader to feel the emotions experienced by Blue and her sister Star. As a teacher, it has helped me to better understand the plight of children living in an abusive setting. This book is an excellent resouce for teachers!