From Publishers Weekly
In her ambitious first novel, Poupeney skillfully weaves the dramatic impact of the Depression era and WWII on the lives of an Oregon family, but choppy pacing ultimately undermines the storytelling. The voice of Maggie, the middle of three children, is the novel's greatest strength, but three chapters from an omniscient viewpoint are jarringly and unnecessarily interjected. At times, the volume reads more like a gathering of sketches than a novel. For example, at one point the narrative skips from eight-year-old Maggie eavesdropping on the news that her father has been having an affair, to two chapters in the third person some undisclosed period of time later in a different town, then in the subsequent chapter returns to Maggie's narration at age 10; by the close of the novel, Maggie is 14. A lot of ground is covered in those six years, including her father's alcoholism and abuse, as well as Pearl Harbor and internment camps. The author introduces some fascinating characters here: the most subtly honed chapter in the novel chronicles the friendship between Maggie and Goofy John, a WWI veteran who dies attempting to bury a whale. But often an idea or character is introduced, then never developed. The relationships between Maggie and her mother, Maggie's brother Frank, and even Maggie's best friend Buddy are never fully fleshed out. The author constructs some compelling scenes and characterizes Maggie as a sympathetic heroine, but many readers may get lost trying to keep track of her through the novel's disjointed structure. Ages 14-up. (June)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up-Maggie Morrison lives with her parents and two brothers on the Oregon coast in the mid-Depression years. The story follows her life from age 7 to 14, into the early years of World War II. Though her boorish, alcoholic father is determined to turn her older brother, Frankie, into a man, ironically, it is Maggie who develops the thick skin and the willingness to face life head on. Over the course of time, she witnesses the accidental death of a sickly World War I veteran she has befriended and the breakup of her parents' marriage. She watches Frankie go off to fight in the Philippines, deals with lecherous men, gets her first kiss, and moves far too many times as her mother searches for a place for herself and her family. This complex tale touches on heavy-duty subjects such as adultery, abortion, divorce, and the internment of Japanese Americans, but it is written with such style and grace that it never becomes maudlin or preachy. Though most of the chapters are narrated by Maggie, several employ a third-person narrator, and the shifting points of view make the book challenging at times. This episodic work focuses on the protagonist's growth as she attempts to overcome her poverty and the dysfunctional adults who surround her. A powerful debut novel.
Roxanne Burg, Thousand Oaks Library, CA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
