Somerville, Mass. : Candlewick Press, 2015.
210 p. ; 20 cm.
This was a daring book for Gail Giles to write and a rewarding book to read. In a helpful interview with School Library Journal, Giles says, "I was told by a publisher that I would be 'flayed' if I attempted this. I think trying to get into a mental impairment that you do not have is tricky."
When I first started reading the book, I wasn't sure she was going to pull it off successfully - one character, Quincy, is - as she puts it - "mixed race" and the other, Biddy, has an intellectual disability. Each chapter is written in the voice of either Quincy or Biddy and features their particular slang and grammatical errors. But as the novel goes on - and the smarts, courage and strengths of each of the girls is revealed - the dialect begins to feel both natural and respectful.
There is a lot that is touched on in this short, gritty and uplifting novel - prejudice, rape, friendship, race, bullying, sexual abuse, pregnancy, work, and becoming independent. In spite of this there is a calm and lovely pace to the book and it doesn't usually feel forced.
I'm pleased to see that the book has been well reviewed, was long-listed for the National Book Award, and won the Schneider Family Book Award in 2015. A teacher here at the UHS recommended the book to me and I'll definitely recommend it to students.
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