08/19/2019
This evocative tale entwines the lives of two young women—one living, one dead—in Chicago on the cusp of WWII. In 1941, 14-year-old promising artist Frankie Mazza; her younger sister, Toni; and their older brother, Vito, are “half-orphans”—children left at orphanages by parents struggling financially. The nuns can be strict, even injurious, and the sisters are further abandoned when their father remarries and moves to Colorado, taking only Vito and his new wife’s children along. Narrator Pearl Brownlow, a ghost who died when she was not much older than Frankie, haunts Chicago’s streets and the orphanage, reflecting on Frankie’s life and her own. As Pearl slowly comes to terms with the shocking events that preceded her death, she watches Frankie fall in love and experience devastating loss, and witnesses the sisters’ eventual return to their father and his horrible new family. Printz winner Ruby (Bone Gap ) creates a dreamlike rendering of Pearl’s afterlife that contrasts with Frankie’s stark, historically detailed circumstances. Though a slow unspooling may frustrate some, the women’s resonant journeys, marked by desire and betrayal, thoughtfully illuminate the deepharm that women and girls suffer at the hands of a patriarchal society as well as the importance of living fully. Ages 14–up. (Oct.)
A numinous tale of love and restlessness and dark histories that rises like a tide till you’re up to your neck in its magic. My very favorite kind of read.
Ruby’s delicate, powerful storytelling reveals profound, bewitching truths about the vast, sometimes cruel, sometimes loving, possibilities of human nature. Subtle and stunning.
ALA Booklist (starred review)
"Haunting and hopeful in equal measure."
New York Times Book Review
★ 08/01/2019
Gr 9 Up– Ruby's first young adult novel since her Printz Award–winning Bone Gap is a feminist historical ghost story that is based on the author's mother-in-law's childhood experiences in a World War II–era Chicago orphanage. In 1941, after losing his wife and struggling to support his family, Frankie's Italian immigrant father "temporarily" sends his three adolescent children to a Catholic orphanage. However, he soon remarries and moves away, taking only one of his children. Frankie and her sister, Toni, are left under the watch of the iron-fisted nuns with their oppressive rules. Frankie dreams of growing her hair past her ears, becoming an artist, and falling in love. She never suspects that someone unseen is actually watching over her and longing to protect her: the ghost of a teenage girl, Pearl, dead since 1918, who haunts the orphanage. As Frankie wishes for freedom, Pearl longs to have an impact on the physical world. And Pearl, like Frankie, has been let down by her family, been treated as a commodity, and suffered great loss. Each girl draws strength from her hardships, however, and refuses to submit to those who would control her. Some sexual content and brief, yet disturbing descriptions of violence make this title most appropriate for older readers. VERDICT Powerful plotting, masterful character development, and a unique narrative device set this work apart. Make room on the shelf next to Code Name Verity and The Book Thief .—Liz Overberg, Zionsville Community High School, IN
2019-07-24
Teenage Frankie's story is no more or less tragic than that of any other young person at her German Catholic orphanage: That is, it's heartbreaking. She and her two siblings have a father who brings them gifts but claims he can't afford to take them home and who eventually abandons them for a new family. But Frankie's tenacious grip on hope draws attention from both her fellow orphans, including a beautiful, gentle boy with whom she shares an illicit prewar romance, and Pearl, the book's ghost narrator, whose own tragic story slowly unfurls alongside Frankie's. Pearl's narration elevates an already-poignant story to a complex, bittersweet examination of why "girls were punished so hard for their love, so hard, hard enough to break them." There is no escape from pain or death in this narrative—from the wolf waiting behind every door—but there is the suggestion that it's worth the risk to open them all wide anyway. Pearl and Frankie are white (Frankie's parents were Italian immigrants), but many secondary characters, memorably an African American ghost named Marguerite and a Chinese love interest for Pearl, are racially diverse.
A layered, empathetic examination of the ghosts inside all girls' lives, full of historical realism and timeless feeling. (author's note) (Historical fantasy. 14-adult)
"Haunting and hopeful in equal measure." — New York Times Book Review
“A numinous tale of love and restlessness and dark histories that rises like a tide till you’re up to your neck in its magic. My very favorite kind of read.” — Melissa Albert, New York Times bestselling author of The Hazel Wood
“Ruby’s delicate, powerful storytelling reveals profound, bewitching truths about the vast, sometimes cruel, sometimes loving, possibilities of human nature. Subtle and stunning.” — ALA Booklist (starred review)
“Powerful plotting, masterful character development, and a unique narrative device set this work apart. Make room on the shelf next to Code Name Verity and The Book Thief .” — School Library Journal (starred review)
"A beautiful and lyrical read that pushes against the boundaries of what we often think a young adult novel can contain.” — BookPage
“A layered, empathetic examination of the ghosts inside all girls' lives, full of historical realism and timeless feeling.”Kirkus Reviews
"A beautiful and lyrical read that pushes against the boundaries of what we often think a young adult novel can contain.
Narrator Lisa Flanagan lends her voice to a 2019 National Book Award Young People's Literature finalist. In 1940s Chicago, teenager Frankie and her siblings live in a Catholic orphanage. Pearl, a ghost who lives there, too, observes the people, both alive and dead, who surround her. Drawn to Frankie, Pearl easily slips into her mind while witnessing her life. Flanagan provides a stellar performance, embodying all the characters irrespective of their corporeal state. Imbued with deep emotions, Flanagan’s voice is well suited to Ruby’s story. Listeners with discerning ears may notice a few early spots of uneven sound quality. Regardless, this is an audible treat for those who like their ghost stories to be more poignant than frightening. A.L.S.M. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Narrator Lisa Flanagan lends her voice to a 2019 National Book Award Young People's Literature finalist. In 1940s Chicago, teenager Frankie and her siblings live in a Catholic orphanage. Pearl, a ghost who lives there, too, observes the people, both alive and dead, who surround her. Drawn to Frankie, Pearl easily slips into her mind while witnessing her life. Flanagan provides a stellar performance, embodying all the characters irrespective of their corporeal state. Imbued with deep emotions, Flanagan’s voice is well suited to Ruby’s story. Listeners with discerning ears may notice a few early spots of uneven sound quality. Regardless, this is an audible treat for those who like their ghost stories to be more poignant than frightening. A.L.S.M. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
