Losing Eddie [Paperback]

Deborah Joy Corey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 9, 1994

Deborah Joy Corey captures the voice of rural poverty and the voice of a single, struggling family in southeastern Canada. The voice belongs to an innocent nine-year-old girl, who, throughout this startling novel, remains a nameless, silent outsider in a family whose troubles don't leave much energy for paying attention to someone who isn't in desperate need.

"Deborah Joy Corey makes a stunning debut with her first novel." -Maclean's

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A troubled family is portrayed from the viewpoint of the nine-year-old daughter.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

YA-Through a first-person narration, readers view a nameless nine-year-old girl and see how she and her dysfunctional family cope with the accidental death of her brother. YAs will sense the grinding poverty present in the farmhouse and realize that these people's lives are very grim. The book contains adult themes such as drunkenness, mental illness, physical spousal abuse, and incest between two children. This is not a happy story as it recounts the tribulations of one year in the lives of a rural Canadian family, but it is an honest one.
Marguerite O'Connor, R.E. Lee High School, Springfield, VA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 238 pages
• Publisher: Algonquin Books (January 9, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565120914
• ISBN-13: 978-1565120914
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,447,451 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Moving, Elegant and Gripping, December 31, 2011

By 

Jonathon S. Fuqua - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Losing Eddie (Paperback)

Many years ago, about eighteen of them now, I read this book for the first time. I had no expectations, yet it became one of the most influential stories in my own writing career. It is a simple, elegant, subtly humorous, and sincerely heartbreaking narrative, the kind of little book I aspired to write and still aspire to create. Ms. Cory's eye for imagery, concrete and metaphorical, is startling. Her quiet and understated writing is a mile deep. Her protagonist is so real that I wanted to hold her as if she was my daughter. Losing Eddie made me a better person, which sounds like a joke but, in fact, isn't. When I think of my favorite stories, it's one of the first that comes to my mind, even now...

Jonathon Scott Fuqua

3.0 out of 5 stars Losing Eddie, December 21, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Losing Eddie (Paperback)

Losing Eddie was a interesting book. It dealt with many aspects of life. I like how Deborah Joy Corey tells this story. It is told by a little girl about nine and a half year old. She emphasizes what it was like to grow up on a dirt road in rural New Brunswick. The little girl also emphasizes to us what it is like growing up in a disfunctional family. Her fathers drinking problem, mothers illness, Sister's abusive house hold, and brothers rebellious teenage ways gives you much insite as to how messed up her family actually was but behind all that they all love each other and at some points in the book you see just how much they love one and other. This book also touched close to home in the sense that I also live in New Brunswick and I also know what it is like to live here. Although I do not share some of her insight in life I do know that most of her description do sound a lot like New Brunswick. I found this a very descriptive book. It was a great book read it!

3.0 out of 5 stars My opinion on the book Losing Eddie, December 20, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Losing Eddie (Paperback)

The book Losing Eddie deals with alot of unfortunate things, and there was alot of dramatic happenings in the novel. The novel shows how hard some kids have it a home, and it makes us realize how good we have it.
The novel describes a nine year old girl's summer vacation where she learns many hard things. The young girl tells the story, which includes death of a loved one, the way alcohol affects a family, and how important it is to have close friends. Personally, I liked the book and found it a good learning experience. The reason I found the book enjoying was because Laura the narrator never gave up. She tried to find good in everyone, including the ones who made her feel sad. She also tried to find reason with everyhing that happened.
At the end of the novel Laura gave up with trying to be a grown-up, and understanding everything. She decided to just be a kid, and enjoy it while it lasts. Everyone could learn a few good things from Laura, including the belief in yourself, and the trust in others.