Customer Reviews

Homesick: My Own Story (Yearling Book)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A really remarkable book. Jean Fritz is author of many an exciting children's biography. If you've read "Why Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams?" or "Can't You Make Them Behave, King George?" then you know her works already. Turning her talents towards a slightly more recent history, Fritz takes a good long look at her own life. Having grown up in China in the early 1920s, this is a story of a child trying to discover where she fits in.

First of all, you have to admire Fritz's candor. The very first thing she does is state in the Forward that she considers this a fiction. Though the facts are true here and there, the author has taken some liberties with time and memory. She obviously cannot remember everything that happened perfectly, so she has filled in the gaps as best as possible. Though, she points out, "it does not feel like fiction to me. It is my story, told as truly as I can tell it". THANK YOU, Jean Fritz. How many books do we read where the author claims that everything within the book is the whole truth and nothing but the truth, while taking wild leaps in narrative and interpretation? Finally, we have an author that admits that much of this book may be considered fiction, though she herself remembers it as fact. Such honesty is admirable, and exceedingly rare in non-fiction writers.

As for the story itself, Fritz is very good at what she does. The writing here is superb. Living in a very sketchy time in China's history, little Jean was in the unfortunate position of living in a country where foreigners were finally not being tolerated with much kindness any longer. Often times Chinese peasants rail against Jean for being the kind of "foreign devil" that is a bane to their country. Fritz never condemns these people, and even makes note at the back of this book the reasons behind their dislike and distrust. China was a country that was continually being divided into smaller and smaller pieces by the invading colonists. Neither does the character of Jean ever forget that the servants who work for her are human beings as well. Her parents often do fall into the master-servant manner of thinking, a fact that Jean objects to. They do not learn much about the world in which they live. They instead attempt to recreate their own American lives in a foreign land. But Jean knows that there are aspects of Chinese life that she vastly prefers to the life of her parents. The fact that she recognizes this is impressive. The fact that she can relay it years after the fact in this book, is astounding.

If I have any objections to this book at all they are directed not at the author, but at the illustrator. Margot Tomes has her points. She is not necessarily a bad illustrator. But in this particular book her pictures are superfluous and unnecessary. Sometimes they even touch upon the offensive without really going there. While Fritz never condemns the native Chinese for their opinions, Tomes draws them looking sneaky or sordid at inappropriate times. One such example is in a scene where Jean's servants feed her cat outside, not knowing she's around. The scene in the book is rather touching. Until this time, Jean was half afraid her cook was trying to poison the family. Knowing him to be a person capable of caring for her cat (as he says, "A cat is a cat. There are no foreign cats, no Chinese cats, no capitalist cats, no Communist cats. Just cats") she no longer fears his food. Yet the picture accompanying this text shows a shifty eyed servant peering suspiciously over his shoulder as the cats eats. Unnecessary. Somewhat offensive.

Fritz ends this book with a series of photographs displaying her family, friends, and where she lived in China. Combined with the book, these serve as an excellent document about a time little recorded in either adult or children's fiction. Using a unique perspective culled from her own life, Jean Fritz has written one of the most interesting books about the Chinese/American experience existing today. It is an honorable and impressive piece of work.

Homesick: My Own Story is one of those rare books that feel entirely true. So many times an author's memoir is written "for" a specific audience, so that it takes on the tone of what the readers expect or are hooked by more than by what's true, but Jean Fritz's account of her childhood in China feels absolutely accurate, as if she is writing down the girl she once was. I found the novel an interesting read when I first read it, and when I read it again upon moving to Shanghai, I found it familiar. Even though so many years have passed, many things are the same, here and all over the world. A different sort of story for the un-narrow-minded, Homesick is the kind of discovery that we should all make about ourselves.

I read this book this year, when my mom sent me a box of books to camp over the summer. All the rest were Dear Americas so this was the first one I picked up. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. I read during softball and got hit on the head. I read during dinner and stained my favortie shirt. I tried to read dujring instructional swim but my counselor took the book away from me. I read under the covers and I got into trouble when my division head came in. I finished it in under eight hours. It's the best non-Dear America book I've ever read. It tells a very interesting story, full of humor and wit. Jean Fritz is an incredibly talented writer, who managed to cover two years time in an average-sized book. Each chapter is a story all its own and also funny. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a really good historical fiction/nonfiction story.

" Homesick: My Own Story" was a real eye-opener for me. I first read it when I was in seventh grade and I still remember what it was like: Looking through Jean's eyes I saw China in a rough time; I learned where the Yangtse River was and about the junks that floated upon it; and how people would get rides in rickshaws pulled by men eager for the money. I broiled through all of her worries and troubles, grinned in happy times, and cried when everything seemed hopeless. I liken this book to "Number the Stars" by Lois Lowry. "Homesick..." did not have as much action the way through as that story, but it certainly holds the same endearing qualities as "Number the Stars". This book read very fluently and I came to know much about something I had never been told about. I recommend "Homesick: My Own Story" to anyone interested in different cultures and a personable young lady who would rather have the name Marjorie instead of Jean

We loved this book because we were able to do an author study on Jean Fritz. We have read many of her books. The fifth grade curriculum requires us to study American History. Reading books by Jean Fritz has allowed my students and I to approach history with an open mind. Getting away from the text books has been enjoyable for all of us. Learning through literature is very effective and we have grasped many historical concepts by reading these books.

I gave this book four stars because I didn't like the sad parts. The book was well-written. The author helped me see the story of a ten-year-old girl whose father works for the YMCA in China. She knows she's going to go home to the US but that there are lots of obstacles. After reading this book. I understand more about the history of China and the coolies and the culture. I am a fan of Jean Fritz books in general.

I didn't know what to expect when I started reading this book, but once I started reading I didn't want to put it down. This book tells the true story of a young American girl who grew up in China in the 1920's. I knew very little about China and its history, so this book was very educational and insightful for me.

This book stirred up a lot of emotions in me. I felt myself totally caught up in the life of the young Jean Fritz and sharing her hopes and dreams, her frustrations and her sorrows. It is a story that has very humorous moments, moments full of excitement and suspense, heartwarming and tender moments, and moments that are simply heart-wrenching.

If this book were simply a story that somebody made up then it probably would have meant very little to me, but knowing that this was a true story full of real experiences really opened my eyes and made me feel like I was glimpsing a tiny bit of a history I had previously known nothing about. Thank you to Jean Fritz for sharing this part of her life with us.

Jean writes her life story true but not boring. She doesn't bore you with all the detail she just spits it out

I recently read a book called Homesick at first i did'nt want to read it but my friend told me it was pretty good so i was like alright i'll check it out. At first I read the back and it caught my attention so i opened it and i could'nt put it down i just kept reading and reading.... I liked reading it and i like reading about differnt countries and what happens to people while their there it keep's me interested. I dont read very much but when i do they turn out to be really good one's. I would recommend this book to all my friends especially this one In away it captivated me and made me realize how special life is and to appreciate it alot more. It also made me treasure the things that i have because family is the only thing you have. In away i can relate to her because of the things that went on in her family but in the long run there's always a reason for things that happen. Just like the saying things happen for a reason. Even though Jane's life was much harder then mine we all go through struggles with differnt types of things. But they make us stronger as people but this book made me open my eye's a little wider about how important family really is so i suggest you spend a little time reading this book or spend some time with your family.

In the autobiography Homesick, the author Jean Fritz showed that being true to yourself is important. One example of this is when she refuses to sing "God Save the King" at her school. This shows that she knows she needs to be true to her country, America. A second example is when Jean wants to change her name to Marjorie. She wants to do this because she thinks Marjorie is a more American name than Jean. Jean Fritz was a very lively girl who wanted nothing more than to be an American.

I liked this book because it was well written and sometimes I felt like I was in America with Jean!