February 12, 2007
A love of words—books, reading and writing—is the theme that runs through Holt's series of vignettes, which illuminates four generations of a Louisiana family. Teenage Rose, an aspiring writer, kicks things off: forced to flee the Dust Bowl–ravaged Texas panhandle in 1939 with her mother and siblings, she lies about her age in order to get a job driving the library's bookmobile to help her struggling family and never looks back. Subsequently, Rose's outdoorsy, dog-loving son, Merle Henry, holds great fondness for Old Yeller
. In the early 1970s, Merle Henry's daughter, Annabeth, tries to ease her adolescent growing pains with Hans Christian Andersen. And Annabeth's son, Kyle, who is tortured by the thought of reading, eventually finds a spark of inspiration in a library job and Harry Potter. Actress Reading uses a mellifluous Southern lilt, often suffused with notes of sadness, to capture the broad spectrum of emotion here. Though a recitation of the family tree at the beginning of the program feels more overwhelming than helpful, listeners will likely find satisfaction as Reading confidently brings the characters and inspiring imagery full circle. Ages 12-up.
Starred review from July 17, 2006
Holt's (My Louisiana Sky
) atmospheric novel traces five generations of a Louisiana family. Spanning the years 1939–2004, the book encapsulates the struggles, sorrows, infatuations and triumphs of various family members as they enter adolescence. Readers first meet 14-year-old Rose, who lies about her age to become the bookmobile driver for the new Terrebone Parish Library. Working hard to help her family make ends meet, she never realizes her dream of going to college but remains an avid reader and writer. She passes down her love of books to some but not all of her children and grandchildren. Rose's son Merle Henry would rather trap than read; her granddaughter, Annabeth, wishes she were more popular; and her great-grandson, Kyle, works at the library like his grandmother did, but doesn't have much use for books until he discovers Harry Potter. The author subtly weaves in historic influences such as the Dust Bowl, the Vietnam War and the Watergate hearings. Rose resurfaces briefly as a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, and once again takes center stage in the final pages of the novel when, at age 79, she becomes a published author. Economical, evocative prose reflects the leisurely pace of Southern living and movingly conveys family tensions, family love, and the power of stories to bring generations together. Ages 10-15.