Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
Harper Collins 1994
288 pages
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Read Aloud: 11
Read Alone: 12-14
1995 Newberry Medal Winner
To paraphrase something Donalyn Miller wrote about in The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child (which I highly recommend), reading children’s books as adults has the tangential benefit of giving the adult reader insight into the mind of children—what they think, how they think, and how they feel. I know, you were once a child, too (so was I), but I can pretty much guarantee you have forgotten (maybe with a sigh of relief?) the intensity, range and depths of emotion that children experience.
In her story, Walk Two Moons, Creech reminds us with a vengeance how much pain a thirteen year-old girl can feel. When her mother unexpectedly leaves their Kentucky farm, Salamanca Tree Hiddle’s entire life is uprooted. She moves to Ohio, her father finds new female companionship, and Sal faces a new school, new friends, and a crippling sense of loss and abandonment.
While traveling with her beloved grandparents on a journey to find her mother, Sal recounts the story of her experiences in Ohio by telling them a story of her new friend, Phoebe Winterbottom. Incidentally, Phoebe’s mother has also left her family though in entirely different circumstances than Sal’s.
There is much more to the plot than I can put down here. The characters are likeable and often funny. The story has elements of suspense (is there a body buried under that bush?), humor and love (Sal’s first relationship). Native American information is sprinkled throughout as are picturesque descriptions of some of America’s scenic vistas such as Old Faithful and Mount Rushmore.
Just writing this makes the plot seems complicated and unbelievable—a story within a story and two mothers’ departures--but it is not. Sharon Creech is so gifted and the story so finely crafted that it flows beautifully and does not feel at all contrived. The resolution (actually both resolutions) when they come are, while not unexpected, are powerful and satisfying despite being laced with sadness. I highly recommend this book for mothers and daughters and think it would make a great mother/daughter book group selection.
Harper Collins 1994
288 pages
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Read Aloud: 11
Read Alone: 12-14
1995 Newberry Medal Winner
To paraphrase something Donalyn Miller wrote about in The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child (which I highly recommend), reading children’s books as adults has the tangential benefit of giving the adult reader insight into the mind of children—what they think, how they think, and how they feel. I know, you were once a child, too (so was I), but I can pretty much guarantee you have forgotten (maybe with a sigh of relief?) the intensity, range and depths of emotion that children experience.
In her story, Walk Two Moons, Creech reminds us with a vengeance how much pain a thirteen year-old girl can feel. When her mother unexpectedly leaves their Kentucky farm, Salamanca Tree Hiddle’s entire life is uprooted. She moves to Ohio, her father finds new female companionship, and Sal faces a new school, new friends, and a crippling sense of loss and abandonment.
While traveling with her beloved grandparents on a journey to find her mother, Sal recounts the story of her experiences in Ohio by telling them a story of her new friend, Phoebe Winterbottom. Incidentally, Phoebe’s mother has also left her family though in entirely different circumstances than Sal’s.
There is much more to the plot than I can put down here. The characters are likeable and often funny. The story has elements of suspense (is there a body buried under that bush?), humor and love (Sal’s first relationship). Native American information is sprinkled throughout as are picturesque descriptions of some of America’s scenic vistas such as Old Faithful and Mount Rushmore.
Just writing this makes the plot seems complicated and unbelievable—a story within a story and two mothers’ departures--but it is not. Sharon Creech is so gifted and the story so finely crafted that it flows beautifully and does not feel at all contrived. The resolution (actually both resolutions) when they come are, while not unexpected, are powerful and satisfying despite being laced with sadness. I highly recommend this book for mothers and daughters and think it would make a great mother/daughter book group selection.
I am pretty sure Kelly & I read this book 100 years ago! And I agree that reading children's books as an adult is a wonderful excercise. It is to forget what is truly important to a child when as adults we are faced with dealing with financial issues, work issues, aging parent issues and just all around trying to hold the world together the best we can.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog! Keep reading.....
Beth