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House You Pass on the Way

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"seemed like this town, their house, was all just something you passed along the way".

Staggerlee is a young woman of fourteen who has taken on a separate identity. She used the titular character of the famous song to honor the point that the character in the song struggled to break out of the gates someone had built around him. For her this rings true, because there are several obstacles she struggles against daily. For one thing her grandparents were famous civil rights activists who were killed for their cause in a bombing some years back. Then there's the fact that Staggerlee is the daughter of a white woman and a black man in a community that is predominately black to begin with and her parents are the only bi-racial couple. This has caused tension in her family on her father's side because his sisters have refused to accept the validity of the marriage and have chosen estrangement in lieu of accepting the marriage. Finally, there's the struggle of Staggerlee's sexuality to deal with. When she was in the sixth grade she kissed a friend named Hazel who immediately shunned her for doing this, so Staggerlee has closeted her feelings towards women thinking them taboo and not something people talk about.

When Staggerlee's Aunt Hallique dies her other Aunt Ida Mae sends a letter to her parents telling of it, and that she wishes to send her adopted daughter, Tyler, to visit for the summer. This seems odd to her father, Elijah, that for years they were ignored and then out of nowhere they send their daughter to see them. At first he won't allow it but Staggerlee argues for the visit when she realizes that Tyler is her age, and she sees a photo of her and finds her intriguing. Elijah gives in and when Tyler does arrive she stirs up all sorts of emotions in Staggerlee not unlike her experience with Hazel. Her interest in Tyler is doubled when on their meeting Tyler asks to be called Trout and explains that a trout will fight you with all it's strength to be free when you catch one. This appeals to Staggerlee and the to become fast friends, eventually confessing their mutual attraction to women and what this might mean in the grand scheme of things.

This book has so many layers to it, which is amazing considering it's a mere 114 pages long. For the one thing there is the question of race, the ethical and the implications of accepting people for more than just the color of their skin. Second there is the sexual aspect of it. It is so important for young people who are gay to understand that it is not wrong or evil like some narrow minded people would have one believe. Even in this book it is hard for the two girls to say the word "gay" and admit that they might be so, and even when one decides that it is easier to be straight and go along with everything that she "should" be doing the other girl who seems more sure still won't say that she is gay or not. What about our culture makes this a dirty word? Why must we still view movies like "Brokeback Mountain" or books like "The House You Pass on the Way" as "controversial" or "groundbreaking" work? How many more years before work like this is accepted as the social norm? I realize the implications in this book concerning civil rights of course. 40 years ago we were fighting for African American rights and that of other minorities (women's rights, Latino, Asian, senior citizens, etc.) and really one of the last frontiers we have to deal with when it comes to civil rights is to open the doors for the GLBTQ community to be allowed to marry, visit their spouses in the hospital, share benefits such as health insurance and other medical benefits, and be seen as equals, not just a marginalized group. I found the parallels of those two movements fascinating and enjoyed the contrast in the attitudes. Whereas Staggerlee's parents were unaccepted for their choice in love would her parents have been understanding in accepting her for hers?

This is a very important book for everyone to read, not just young adults. As a gay woman I see the power of literature like this. As a gay woman I am also offended that this was a title I had to order into the book store I work at because our distributor didn't find it necessary to carry something like this in our children's section. Please, we need more work of this caliber. Everyone needs to realize that these are issues that are present in our world and cannot be ignored as if they are not there because a few people are unwilling to see the truth. Read this book, buy it for a friend, buy it for anyone who wants something with a bit of an edge to it (I shudder to even use the word "edge" as I wish this subject matter wasn't considered "edgy"). Read it because it's something that simply needs to be said.

Young Staggerlee named herself after seeing her late, famous grandparents perform a song with that name on old tapes of The Ed Sullivan Show. She knows she is different from other girls. Being the middle child in a busy family makes it hard enough to find her way. One of her favorite memories is when she kissed her friend, a girl named Hazel. Unfortunately, Hazel soon turned on her at school, and that was the end of their friendship.

When her adopted cousin Tyler is sent to stay with them for the summer, she finds out that Tyler is confused about herself as well. What a relief to discover she is not alone.

Jacqueline Woodson is the winner of the Coretta Scott King Award for MIRACLE'S BOYS and has been nominated twice for the National Book Award. She is undoubtedly a versatile writer --- as she is able to deal with the subject of sexual identity in this book and discuss a family tragedy in poetry, as she did in last year's LOCOMOTION.

Staggerlee's story is no exception. One of the best features about the book is the theme that teens may explore different identities before finding themselves. The book also does not have black and white rules --- it offers many questions for discussion. THE HOUSE YOU PASS ON THE WAY has multiple layers that should not be overlooked.

--- Reviewed by Amy Alessio

Remember what it was like having your first crush, that delicious sensation of something sweet and forbidden, but tingling with anticipation of doing it again?

That feeling is captured in Jacqueline Woodson's tender novel, THE HOUSE YOU PASS ALONG THE WAY. Evangeline "Staggerlee" Canan, the 14-year-old biracial protagonist of this tale, deals with her true feelings when her cousin, Trout, comes to visit.

Before Trout's arrival, Staggerlee's life is filled with longing. Despite being surrounded by a loving family, she's lonely and doesn't have many friends. She does grow close to new classmate Hazel, whom she kisses in between the cornflowers, but that soon fades once Hazel discovers Staggerlee's tragic family past.

Before her parents married, Staggerlee's grandparents were killed by a car bomb. Both famous entertainers, they were immortalized in her small town of Sweet Gum. Because of it--and her parents being an interracial couple--people look at Staggerlee and her family differently. They assume she's stuck up and treat her as an outcast.

Everything changes when Trout comes to Sweet Gum. Staggerlee's never met her 15-year-old cousin. But when she does, she's taken aback by Trout's beauty and presence. Trout's a little pensive at first, but the more the two spend time together, they learn they have a lot more in common. They share a love girls, both having had their first same-sex crushes. Because of this connection, their bond evolves into a deep friendship. Staggerlee has found somebody who truly knows how she feels. She realizes that her feelings for girls are real and valid.

Once Trout returns home, things do become different between them. But by then, Staggerlee has the confidence to be herself and gain friends in the process.

Woodson is a truly gifted writer to craft such a beautiful novel about a girl's seach for self. Not only did it showcase a young woman's budding sexuality, but highlighted the unconditional love of a family. One can truly say this novel takes you back to the past when love was fresh and new and innocent.

I loved everything about it. Her selection of words how she put so much thought into such a small book it was wonderful. i couldn't put it down and finished it in 2 days!

I'm always amazed by how quickly I get sucked in to Jacqueline Woodson's books. The House You Pass on the Way is barley over 100 pages, and yet it is full of growth, a well-rounded cast of characters, and so much emotion. It even covers enough time to be both a little bluesy and a little hopeful at the same time. It's the perfect book for a rainy afternoon.

Staggerlee is kind of a loner, and, for the most part, she likes it that way. It gives her space to think and to play her music. In a town that is mostly Black, her mother is white. The statue in the center of town is of her grandparents, and it marks Staggerlee and the rest of her family as "special," something her classmates see as "better than." Also, we find out early on, Staggerlee was in love (in a sixth grade kind of way) with her ex-best friend Hazel. She has no words to describe the feeling she had for Hazel, but she knows she should keep them a secret. She feels different and out of place in her small town.

And this is where Staggerlee's cousin Trout comes in. They understand each other in more ways than they could have predicted at the beginning of their summer together. They spend that crazy, transformative summer between middle school and high school together, and they each gain from the other the strength to figure out who they really may be.

Though the circumstances may not be universal, Staggerlee's feeling of being on the outside is something just about everyone has experienced at one time or another, and her friendship with Trout, the way it helps Staggerlee to define herself and the vulnerability that creates, is beautifully rendered in the text. Even though The House You Pass on the Way can be read as an overall sad book, the melancholy is never overwhelming. And the writing, oh the writing, is so lyrical, emotional, and just plain gorgeous.

Book source: Philly Free Library

this was a bookthat i just picked up at the library one day and read all the way through in about an hour. i was amazed at how the book could be such a strong and complete story, despite the fact that it was so short. the book tells the story of a girl, staggerlee, who's father's sisters stopped communicating with him when he married a white woman. when one sister dies, the other realizes that ammends need to be made, and immediately. so she sends her adopted daughter to spend a summer with staggerlee's family. the girl's name is tracey but it is also trout. the book goes on to tell a wonderful story about what a best friend really is. and people moving forward and changing into the people they always were.

Staggerlee is fifteen years old and insecure. Her mother is white and quiet, so she is seen as a snob by the people in town. Her father is black and fits in well with the men in this town where he grew up. Staggerlee isn't quite sure where she fits in. She doesn't have friends at school; she walks with her head down and doesn't speak much to her classmates. Her grandparents were famous performers who were killed by a bomb while attending a rally, and Staggerlee's family is sometimes harassed by the media and people who want to make a movie out of their lives. Staggerlee is uncomfortable with the attention and uncomfortable with herself, and she can't stop thinking about the way she felt when she kissed a girl from school.

When Staggerlee's estranged aunt dies after years of shunning her brother's marriage to a white woman, Staggerlee's other estranged aunt gets in touch with their family. She doesn't want any more time to go by with the family not speaking. Furthermore, she wants to send her daughter to visit that summe. When she arrives, Staggerlee feels an immediate connection to her cousin. Could it be she has finally found someone who will understand her?

I liked the dynamic in Staggerlee's family. I liked how they treated each other and related to each other. I also liked how the issue of Staggerlee's atrraction to a girl in her class wasn't a huge crisis for her; it was just something she was trying to figure out and deal with. However, I would have liked more of the story right away in this book. I wasn't sure from the beginning what was going on and why Staggerlee was upset. I also didn't like what happened in the end with Staggerlee's cousin. It sort of ruined the rest of the story for me.

Staggerlee lives in a small, African-American community in the South. She struggles with her biracial identity (her mother is white) and also wonders if she might be gay, even though she has no words to talk about it. She is lonely and feels like she just doesn't fit anywhere.

When her cousin, Trout, visits during the summer when both girls are 14, they become very close, united in their struggles to define their identities.

Woodson touches on some poignant issues and I had high hopes for this story, but it never really grabbed me.

It is a beautiful story. It addresses issues of racism, interracial marriage, a high school girl's crush..on another girl, a beautiful friendshp all without ever sounding preachy. The writing is crisp, descriptive and succinct.