The Sunday Salon: Tomato Girl - A Book Review

This Sunday I wanted to do something a little different. I’d like to share my review of an amazing book, TOMATO GIRL by Jayne Pupek. I’d like to thank Jayne for sending me the book and for being my special guest blogger tomorrow on Books & Cooks.

It was Spring in the late 1960’s and 11 year old Ellie Sanders should’ve been doing what other kids her age were doing - coloring Easter eggs and getting ready for the Easter Bunny. But Ellie’s life was different than most kids. She had to keep an eye on her Mama and make sure people didn’t notice the strange things she did or see her in her sad moods. And that took a lot of Ellie’s time.

Things changed when the tomato girl came to stay in their home after her Mama had her accident on the cellar stairs. She was supposed to be there to help out, but it didn’t take Ellie long to figure out what was really going on. Before Tess came, it was just Ellie, her Mama and Daddy and even though they weren’t exactly a normal family, it was ok because Ellie knew her father was there to make sure things were alright.

Soon after her Daddy invited Tess to move in, things quickly got worse for Ellie. As events unfolded, she was left to handle situations that any adult would have trouble dealing with, forcing her to stray from her innocence as a child and be on the edge of adulthood, but without the maturity of knowing how to handle things.

TOMATO GIRL by Jayne Pupek was one of the hardest books for me to get through, but it’s also my favorite book this year. It will pull at your heart, make you smile, choke you up and make you cry, but mostly it will make you mad. It’s one of those books that breaks your heart, but you can’t quit reading.

The story is told in it’s entirety by Ellie Sanders, who you will immediately fall in love with. Ms. Pupek is very consistent with her characters and develops them perfectly. Her storytelling is compelling and believable. Even though the subject matter is disturbing, and may not appeal to everyone, I applaud Jayne Pupek for her daring courage in this, her debut novel.

What I liked most about this book is the innocence of Ellie and the constant struggle for her to remain unscathed by what is happening around her that she has no control over. Along with Ellie, my other favorite character was Clara, the ‘colored’ woman who comes into Ellie’s life at just the right time. All of the characters of TOMATO GIRL are unique and will stay with me for awhile, but I will never forget Ellie, the strong little girl who suffered so much loss, and wanted nothing more than to have a normal life.

The publisher, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. They’ve published such books as MUDBOUND, WATER FOR ELEPHANTS and the forthcoming THE MUSIC TEACHER, which is sure to be a success as well. They have wonderful writers of southern literature that I’m especially fond of.

TOMATO GIRL is the kind of book that will stir up a lot of emotions that people will be talking about long after they’ve read it. Some will love it and some may not, but they will always remember it. For those reasons, it would make the perfect choice for any book club.

Please come back tomorrow when Jayne Pupek will be my special guest and she will be talking about her experience in becoming a published author and how the promotional side of writing has been for her. I also encourage you to check out Jayne Pupek’s Blog to learn more about this gifted writer and what she’s working on now.

To read a interesting interview with Jayne Pupek, visit Emma Larkins blog. Emma is a fellow book lover, blogger and writer, who features interviews with authors, editors and publishers each Friday. The book trailer for TOMATO GIRL is also available and you can watch it by clicking here.

For additional reviews visit: Caribousmom, Breaking the Spine and Bibliolatry

TOMATO GIRL
Author: Jayne Pupek
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Date Published: September 2008
Pages: 298
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Book Review: The Day I Killed James

I generally don't read many books in the Young Adult genre, but I was happy to read THE DAY I KILLED JAMES by Catherine Ryan Hyde, especially after reading another of her books recently, CHASING WINDMILLS and liking it so much.

This is the story of Theresa, a senior in high school who lives with her father. Her mother took off long ago, so it's been just the two of them for awhile. They're relationship is a bit strained, mainly because her father is pretty much absent, emotionally and physically due to all the time he spends at his girlfriend's house. Theresa has a boyfriend, Randy, who she fights with, then breaks up with, then gets back together with on a somewhat regular basis, but everyone is pretty much used to the pattern. Only this time is different.

There's a party at a friend's house and Randy tells Theresa he's bringing somone else. In retaliation, Theresa invites her neighbor, James to be her date to the party. James is a few years older, good looking and is infatuated with Theresa, which does make her a little uneasy about the situation. Theresa's plan to make Randy jealous works, maybe a little too well. At the party, James walks in on the two of them 'making up' and takes off on his motorcycle. That is the last time anyone sees James.

In the months following the accident, Theresa makes decisions based on the blame she puts on herself for being responsible for what happened. First, she tries to cope through a journal she keeps at the insistence of her therapist. She chronicles her feelings and actions, although not really thinking it would do much good. Then she tries re-inventing herself and her life. Guilt does funny things to people and we all handle it very differently and she is very matter of fact at how she punishes herself for that guilt.

During her time of self-punishment she meets Cathy, an 11 year old girl who has a tragic story of her own and the two form an odd sort of bond. As much as Theresa tries to separate herself from people, she is pulled into helping this young girl. The result is that in trying to help Cathy, Theresa is able to face her own demons and deal with the fall-out of her own choices with the help of someone unexpected.

I've never read a book quite like this. It's daunting and sad to see how Theresa punishes herself for not realizing the power she had over James and for not being careful with his heart before it was too late. As a result of that neglect, she feels undeserving of anyone's love because she was wreckless with his feelings. At first, I didn't care much for the character of Theresa simply for that reason, but as I kept reading, I realized that's how young people are in many cases. Theresa was so consumed by her relatonship with Randy, she didn't consider anything else. If I'm honest, I could say I can relate to that. When I was a teenager, I probably acted much the same way.

THE DAY I KILLED JAMES is an interesting read that moves quickly and makes you want to keep turning to the next page. Parts of the book are her actual journal entries which make it very real and insightful to her feelings. The writing is direct and at times a bit raw, which makes it all the more convincing. I did find it difficult to accept the circumstances surrounding Cathy, the young girl Theresa befriends. Probably because my childhood was drastically different than hers and I didn't want to believe situations like that exist. But my feelings about it didn't take away from the story at all.

I feel that THE DAY I KILLED JAMES is a realistic account of what could happen in young lives if they are oblivious to others around them. Maybe not exactly the same way the story played out, but certainly there are lessons that could be learned. Theresa's story could play an important role in teaching young adults about being aware of choices and consequences. Although tragic, this could be a learning experience for young readers.

If you'd like to learn more about Catherine Ryan Hyde and her other books, please visit http://www.cryanhyde.com/ or check out her My Space page here.

THE DAY I KILLED JAMES
Author: Catherine Ryan Hyde
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Published: May 2008
Pages: 217
Rating: 3.75 (Recommended)