Customer Reviews

Louisiana's Song (Maggie Valley Novels)

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Louisiana's Song is the second in Kerry Madden's trilogy that takes place in Maggie Valley in North Carolina's Smoky Mountains. It's the early 1960s and the Weems family life is narrated through the eyes of twelve-year-old Livy Two.

In Gentle's Holler (see our earlier review), the Weems dad is seriously injured in a car accident. It's eight months later and the family eagerly awaits his homecoming. Dad is going to be recuperating in the smokehouse and Louisiana has painted the walls with family memories. The children's excitement is dashed when they realize dad's brain injury has severely impacted his memory. He's confused, cranky, doesn't seem to recognize his children and often hears music playing in his head.

Money is tight (a perpetual problem in the Weems household) and Grandma Horace is subsidizing the family. She takes to heart the adage that `the person with the gold makes the rules' and has snatched the `head of household' role. She wants to move home and badgers mom Weems with the idea of taking the family back to Enka where a steady paycheck can be found.

While navigating the trials of dad's accident, money problems and Grandma Horace's threats, Livy, Louisiana and the other children do their best to contribute to the family coffers, pull together, and have some fun. From the bookmobile where Livy Two works, the letters to a Nashville agent, the pancake house, an amusement part and the contributions of a shy, tall Louisiana selling her art, we breathe the beloved mountain air where the Weems family lives and feel the strength of a proud mountain family determined to beat back poverty and take on life in their own terms.

In the age of `it's all about me' and little of `us,' Madden shares the idea that there is much value in pulling together and helping others. The values are positive, the tenacity and creativity of the Weems family is delightful. And Livy Two is an extraordinary narrator.

Waiting for the third book in the trilogy is difficult. Will the Weems family move from Maggie Valley? Oh, no! That's a problem waiting to unfold.

Armchair Interviews says: Highly recommended. Be sure to read Gentle's Holler too.

Love this book. The setting, the characters, the humor, the heart. It has it all. Madden clearly has a deep love and respect for the Smoky Mountains, their people and traditions. Can't wait for the third book in the trilogy!

This book can show about really good times and really hard times. It could definitely teach people that have an easy and carefree life about much harder times and much better times. It's adventurous and exciting, and if you love nature, this book is perfect for you.


Alexis...
8yrs. old

Louisiana's Song

In reading Madden's second book of the Maggie Valley series and of the Weems family, you find yourself lost in the story. At the end, you must return to the world of tv, canned music, microwaves, etc. Madden's stories of the beautiful Maggie Valley might well be set anywhere as a young girl struggles with her dreams and the reality of everyday life.

This series is a great read for middle schoolers, teenagers, and even to the more mature readers who just want to lose themselves in a time that was more peaceful, more in touch with nature, and families were closer.

Here's my general rule regarding sequels: If you can pick it up and read it through without knowing one teeny tiny detail about the previous book (and I am including the author's name in that statement) and still feel like it stands entirely on its own two feet, then that's a pretty good book, mister. And "Louisiana's Song" is a pretty good book. A soft novel. The kind of book for a certain kind of doe-eyed twelve-year-old girl, perhaps. Or maybe I'm just limiting the scope of the potential audience of this title. In "Louisiana's Song" you're dealing with personal loss, hardship, and disillusionment. The ending could have used a once over, but for the most part this is a strong title and one that is sure to become deeply beloved by someone out there somewhere.

All Livy Two really wants is for life to become "normal" again. Ever since her daddy got in that car accident all those months ago her life has been topsy-turvy. Mama is having difficulty getting ends to meet. Grandma Horace is always insisting that they leave their lovely mountain holler home in the North Carolina mountains to live somewhere industrial. But now it is 1963 and daddy is coming home at last! Surely everything will go back to normal now, right? Wrong. Having suffered severe head trauma from his accident, Livy Two's daddy needs to relearn everything about his old life slowly. To Livy Two's surprise, however, it's her quiet sister Louise that is able to provide daddy with the help he needs and who works up the courage to sell pictures to make money for the family. Will all that be enough to overcome Grandma Horace's campaign to get their mama a factory job and them into the city? Time will only tell.

It's funny that the hero of Ms. Madden's series is always Livy Two, but that the titles are always named after her siblings and not herself. It's probably the mark of the series that the heroine's tales always bear the name of her sibs and that she herself bears a name that serves as a constant reminder that she was not the first child named "Livy" in her family. This is a loving household, but one that gives its children certain weights to bear. At one point Livy Two's mama explains why she willingly had so many children. It was because their father wanted a big family and to live in the beautiful outdoors. Now he's been hurt and no money was put aside for his family in his absence. And when families are this large, it's the older siblings who get stuck with the brunt of the responsibility. Little wonder that Livy Two's older brother Emmett takes off the minute he thinks he can.

Madden gets the emotional quality of her story right. In fact, there are times when it feels like she's shooting you through with one feeling or another on the sly. Livy Two's daddy is a good example of this. When they bring him to a kind of fun park called Ghost Town to see his son, a faux gunfight breaks out. The next line reads that, "Daddy stops crying and watches the rest of the show from behind a post." We didn't even necessarily know that he WAS crying at that point. So really, in a way this makes me feel even more sorry for him than if Madden were giving you a play-by-play of all her characters' emotional states and actions. The same might be said for Grandma Horace. Since we're seeing all of this from Livy Two's perspective, we're not supposed to sympathize with her Grandma, but it's hard for adult readers not to see her point of view when she says, "Child, I'm sixty-one years old, and I'm surprised that this year has not put me in my grave." Her methods for getting the family to move to Buncombe County may be questionable, but you can understand why she'd want to give her grandchildren what she truly believes to be a better life. Admittedly, it was a bit precious for me at times. I'll acknowledge that. It's remarkably hard for an author, any author, to show sentiment without dipping into twee. For the most part Livy Two and Louise are able to give their younger siblings stories and fairy realms that feel of childish innocence. Other times it's a bit much for me, though I suspect that child readers won't mind a jot.

As I mentioned before, this book doesn't require any knowledge of its preceding novel, Gentle's Holler. Be that as it may be, there were a couple moments where I got a bit confused. There's someone named "Uncle Hazard", for example, who is not identified as a dog until you're onto page 12 and the barking begins. And if you're not a fan of series where the plot bleeds into its sequel, best that you avoid this book. I got to the end of the tale without a lot of the major plot points getting resolved and was shocked to suddenly find my nose in the Acknowledgments section. It's an odd choice on Madden's part, I'll admit. "Louisiana's Song" stands on its own right up until the end. Readers, particularly child readers, aren't fans of books that leave them hanging so I wonder if at least one of the dangling strings could have been resolved.

There's a class of sixth graders that comes into my library once or twice a month, and these kids have a huge range of tastes and preferences. I'd say that five or six of the girls, though, like a certain kind of book. They read Izzy, Willy-Nilly by Cynthia Voight, A Corner Of The Universe by Ann Martin, and Shug by Jenny Han. They eat these puppies up and then come to me asking, "Do you have any more of the same? Do you have anything EXACTLY like these books?" I don't, obviously. The best that I can do is to sloooowly introduce them to the notion of historical fiction. These are kids who prefer contemporary fare, but find the right historical novel with the right characters and emotions and they go to town. So the next time I see them, I'm going to have to booktalk "Louisiana's Song". It'll be right up their alley. The great characters. The feelings of love and frustration between siblings. Trying to strike out on your own. For a certain kind of reader, this is a book to love.

It's been a long time since Tom Weems has been to the mountain holler they call home. A lot has changed since his accident. Grandma Horace has moved up from the city, but it seems like all she does is argue with everyone. With ten kids to feed and clothe, even Grandma Horace's money doesn't stretch very far. All of the kids who can are doing their best to contribute. Emmett's off with their great uncle working at the new amusement park. He sends back whatever money Uncle Buddy doesn't "borrow." Livy Two is sure that she could sell some of the songs she's been writing, if she could only get the address for the man who used to read her Daddy's songs. She's also sure that her sister, Louisiana, could sell some paintings, if only she wasn't so shy.

When Daddy comes home all of the kids expect things will go back to normal. But, Daddy isn't quite the same Daddy he was before. He doesn't seem to remember much of anything. He gets words confused a lot and he won't even touch his banjo. He has a radio playing in his head that no one else can hear. He's not even living in the house. They fixed up an old shed for him to stay in. Louise painted it for him.

Louisiana would much rather stay at home and paint and help Daddy than go to school. It's not something Livy Two really gets, but she's very protective of her sister. In fact, until recently, Livy Two was Louise's only friend. But now she's made a new friend, and Livy Two isn't quite sure how to feel about it.

She doesn't have a whole lot of time to worry, since Grandma is trying to convince their mom to move them all into the city. Between that, Daddy, Emmett being gone, Louise's new life, and talk about sending Gentle away to a special school for the blind, Livy Two doesn't think her life will ever be quite right again.

This is quite simply and beautifully a story about life. It's set in a very specific place and time, but you slide into that space so easily. After reading this for a few hours straight, cars and microwaves were quite a shock! Life isn't always about huge moments, sometimes it's just smaller things, one after another. And you just keep going. It's how you go, and the attitude you have that shows the world who you are. This book is about Louisiana, through Livy Two's eyes, and it speaks volumes for both of them.

Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman

"Louisiana's Song" is the second volume in Kerry Madden's charming Maggie Valley trilogy. Set in North Carolina's Smoky Mountains in the early 1960s, "Louisiana's Song" tells the tale of the Weems family through the eyes of twelve-year-old Livy (Two) Weems.

There are ten children in the Weems family, so when dad is injured in a car accident times are hard. Even more troubling for the Weems family is the fact that Dad's memory has been altered and he's often confused and irritable. Mom and Grandma are worried about money, and Grandma, who has become the de facto head of the household, is threatening a move from the mountains to a nearby town so mom can find steady work.

Before you get any wrong ideas, let me tell you "Louisiana's Song" is not a problem novel nor is it a tale of rural woe. Instead the Weems family is hopeful, hardworking and full of joy and creativity. The older children find work and extra ways to make money. They band together as a team, make enough to get by, and have plenty of fun in the process. Livy convinces shy Louise (Louisiana of the title) to sell her art. Livy herself works in the bookmobile and tries to sell her songs to an agent in Nashville. (Her letters to the agent are pure genius.) Another sister gets a job in the pancake restaurant, and eldest son Emmett moves away to work at a local amusement park. Along the way, Livy takes her toddler siblings on fairy hunts and creates a beautiful pop-up book for them with the help of Louise and a local Mennonite girl.

Although the Weems family lives in near isolation, it's 1963 and times are turbulent and confusing. The novel ends when Kennedy was assassinated and Louise and Livy take Dad and their younger siblings on a fairy hunt to avoid their shocked mother and grandma. When Dad disappears, Livy and Louise have to find the courage to make things right.

"Louisiana's Song" is a beautifully written novel for intelligent readers ages nine and up. Livy Two is a compelling narrator with a heart of gold. The novel ends with a big question: Will the Weems family leave Maggie Valley? I for one can't wait to find out, but will have to as "Jessie's Mountain" won't be out until 2008

In GENTLE'S HOLLER, Kerry Madden introduced young readers to Olivia (better known as Livy Two) Weems, a twelve-year-old with a passion for books and music. Livy has eight siblings of various ages and tempermants, a sweet mama, and a starry-eyed daddy. Money's tight - Daddy's music fills the heart and ears more than it fills the pocketbook - but the Weems make do, and their household is always bursting with family, love, and music.

LOUISIANA'S SONG, the second book in the trilogy, is just as precious as the first. The narrator is once again the lovable Livy Two, who learns how her quiet sister Louise came to be named after a state. She encourages Louise to share her paintings with others, all the while working hard on her own songs and helping out at the bookmobile. As the family feels the effects of the events from the previous book, Livy Two is surprised by the strength of her siblings - and of herself.

Set in 1960s North Carolina, LOUISIANA'S SONG is a worthy sequel to GENTLE'S HOLLER, and, unlike many middle books in trilogies, can stand on its own two feet. When Louise learns to do the same, Livy Two cheers her on - and so will readers. I am looking forward to JESSIE'S MOUNTAIN, the final book in the trilogy.

Recommended, especially to fans of the All-of-a-Kind Family books by Sidney Taylor, The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall, and Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes by Frank B. Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey.

Louisiana's Song is a wonderful book. Great for all ages. Once again, Kerry Madden takes you deep into the very heart of the Weems family and keeps you there! I found myself longing for more Weems stories!

Kerry Madden is a master at creating characters that existed in a real part of America - and allowing readers to understand the times and tribulations of a family in a time not too long ago. The importance of keeping recent history alive for young readers cannot be overstated. Real people, real problems, real characters that young (and old) readers can identify with and understand. Heartwarming, but not soft, Madden goes deep into the characters. This is the kind of book that keeps it real. The book stands alone, but to get the entire journey, start at Gentle's Holler.