Raymie...Clarke? or Nightingale? Perhaps both!

Rarely does a book title draw me in as this one did.

Raymie. I have never heard this name before. Raymie.

And then Nightingale. There had to be some symbolism there, amIright?

And beyond the title? The author--Kate DiCamillo! 

I adored Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures!

This had to be a winner!

Raymie Nightingale 

by Kate DiCamillo

So...this was no Flora & Ulysses. Definitely no raucous 
laugh-out-loud humor as I found in Flora & Ulysses. 
Though I did chuckle alot and laugh a few times...

But there was much poignancy and some real-life angst, 
as well as well-intentioned life-changing strategies and plans.
You can also read the Book Riot review here.

Three girls gather at Ida Nee's house for their first baton-twirling lesson. 
One can already twirl a baton, one helps her grandmother steal food, 
and one is determined to have her family back.

Though they may seem an unlikely trio of 'misfits,' they eventually become the 
"Three Rancheros," determined to perform 'good deeds.' But first...let's meet them!

And then the girl...let out a sob and said. "The more I think about it, 

the more terrified I am. I am too terrified to go on!"

The girl clutched the baton to her chest and dropped to her knees.

Raymie stared at her in wonder and admiration.

She herself often felt too terrified to go on, but she had never admitted it out loud. (2)

So very much said with so few words! My immediate thought? That girl's quite the actor!

And Raymie's "wonder" and "admiration"! Love those words. Just perfect!

What one of us has NOT felt at some point in our lives, especially our younger years,

 "too terrified to go on"?

"Stop this nonsense immediately," said Ida Nee.

Ida Nee was the baton twirling instructor. Even though she was old--over fifty at least...

She wore white boots that came all the way up to her knees. 

"I'm not kidding," said Ida Nee.

Raymie believed her. Ida Nee didn't seem like much of a kidder. (2) 

Okay, that got a chuckle out of me! (And really, is fifty all that old? Thinks someone who is in their 60's! lol) But what, exactly, has these two children so terrified, you may ask? 

[Just] two days before...Raymie Clarke's father had run away from home 

with a woman who was a dental hygienist. (3)

Awww...poor Raymie! How disturbing and disruptive for her! A "great tragedy," according her mother. 

Sometimes the pain in her heart made her feel too terrified to go on. 

Sometimes it made her want to drop to her knees. 

But then she would remember that she had a plan. (4)

And it is quite the plan...

There wasn't time for people fainting. She had to learn how to twirl a baton 

and she had to learn fast, because if she learned how to twirl a baton, 

then she stood a good chance of becoming Little Miss  Central Florida Tire.

And if she became Little Miss Central Florida Tire, 

her father would see her picture in the paper and come home. 

That was Raymie's plan. (7)

Tears came to my eyes when I read this. This poor sweet little innocent, naive girl... Awww...my heart went out to her right then! And you know what? Honestly, I hoped she succeeded in her heartfelt "plan." 

Unfortunately for Raymie, Louisiana, who comes "from a show-business background," what with her parents being a part of a circus act called "the Flying Elefantes." (Yes, 'elefante' is definitely close to 'elephant,' is it not? I did chuckle at the vision of the 'elephant' trapeze act this fostered in my imagination! :)) Louisiana is currently bemoaning her sense of betrayal to the 'family cat,' Archie, since they had to leave him at the Very Friendly Animal Center where he would be fed and well cared for, per her Grandmother. They couldn't afford to feed him any longer, as they barely had any food for themselves. But...Louisiana also...has a plan... 

"I've entered the Little Miss Central Florida Tire 1975 contest, and I'm going to win that 

one thousand nine hundred and seventy-five dollars and save myself from the county home 

and get Archie back from the Very Friendly Animal Center and never be terrified again." (20-21)

With this money she intends to purchase tuna fish since it is "high in protein" and therefore, good for her "swampy lungs." Her grandmother roars up in an old station wagon, shouting,

"Hurry!...Marsha Jean is somewhere close behind. I'm certain of it. 

I can feel her malevolent presence." (26)

Uhm...alrighty then! Oh, my! Poor Louisiana! My heart also went out to her! 

But then, Beverly, the third member of this trio of baton-twirling-wannabes, slashes her pocketknife through the air, stating her intention to "sabotage the contest," since she hates "spangly things." :) As Raymie is completing her Miss Central Florida Tire application, she idly wonders if Beverly must actually enter the contest so she can sabotage it... :) Another chuckle from me... Though Beverly obviously has reasons for her anger, as she states that in the past, her mother has entered her into more of those contests than she can count.

Throughout the book, Raymie imparts bits and pieces of information given to her through the years by her elderly neighbor, Old Mrs. Borkowski. 

Old Mrs. Borkowski said all the time that the sun could not be relied on.

"What is the sun?" said Mrs. Borkowski. "I will tell you. 

The sun is nothing but a dying star. Someday, it will go out. Phhhhtttt." 

Phhhhtttt was actually something that Mrs. Borkowski said often and about a lot of things. (22)

Okay, that did make me laugh! And I could relate to Raymie's close relationship with this older female neighbor. After my first child was born, I would take him down to visit with my neighbor who was in her late 80's; none of her children lived very close nor visited her very often. She actually taught me how to raise African Violets and gave me my first plant starts! Though I believe she was much more pleasant overall than was Mrs. Borkowski! For instance, I cannot recall her ever saying "Pfffftttt"...not even once! However, I never trimmed my neighbor's toenails as Raymie did for Mrs. Borkowski, since she couldn't reach her feet and therefore never tied her shoes either. That Raymie is a sweetheart, isn't she? 

Raymie's mother appears to be in a state of shock. In addition to Old Mrs. Borkowski, Raymie also has a relationship with Mrs. Sylvester, the secretary at her father's insurance office. She calls and talks with her periodically. It is Mrs. Sylvester who suggests she read to residents at the Golden Glen Nursing Home as her "good deed" to include in her Miss Central Florida Tire application. In her room, she selects the library book, A Bright and Shining Path: The Life of Florence Nightingale, for this task. (Note the last name--Nightingale--she saved lives. :)) In going to the nursing home, Raymie decides to walk rather than ride her bike, so that she could "flex her toes and isolate her objectives," just as Lifesaving 101 coach, Mr. Staphopoulos had taught her to do. He believed

that flexing your toes cleared your mind and that once your mind was clear, 

it was easy to isolate your objectives and figure out what to do next. 

For instance: save whoever was drowning. (58)

I seriously wonder if this works. I intend to try it. I'll let you know the results! :)

Raymie ends up losing her library book at the nursing home and is relying upon Beverly to help her get it back, just as Louisiana is also relying upon Beverly...and Raymie to help rescue Archie from the Very Friendly Animal Center. Why Beverly? Because of Beverly's statement:

Fear is a big waste of time. I'm not afraid of anything. (79)

It was quite different for Raymie who would periodically try to 

rearrange her soul, working to make it invisible. (81)

Ah, poor Raymie! She just feels so insignificant, doesn't she? Though when she's happy she can feel her soul growing and becoming lighter, but when she's sad, it "shrinks." Then drama begins at the second baton-twirling lesson...

...Ida Nee cam marching toward them, her white boots glowing and her baton flashing.

She had on a spangled top that sparkled like fish scales. Her hair was very yellow.

She looked like a mermaid in a bad mood. (82)

Yes. I couldn't help it. I just had to laugh at that "mermaid in a bad mood" vision! Though Ida attacks Beverly, hitting her on the head with her baton and Louisiana launches herself upon Ida Nee and holds on for dear life. It is apparent someone has already hit Beverly, evident by the bruise under her left eye. We later learn it was her own mother who hit her... :(

Raymie is amazed to learn that Beverly's father is a cop, but a cop who lives and works in New York City! Beverly doesn't "have a father," either, just like Raymie! Though Beverly plans to move to New York as soon as she can--she has already run away twice, once even reaching Atlanta! This revelation is made while they're at Louisiana's house, currently without electricity due to no money. Beverly has left the room...

"I think her heart is broken," said Louisiana.

Raymie's soul shrank further.

"Beware of the brokenhearted," said the grandmother, "for they will lead you astray."

Outside, it started to rain even harder.

"That's all of us, though, Granny, isn't it?" said Louisiana over the noise of the rain.

"Aren't we all brokenhearted?" (132)

These three unlikely misfits help each other cope with their broken hearts and do good deeds as "the Three Rancheros"! 

Old Mrs. Borkowski dies and while at her funeral, Raymie is upset, but Louisiana appears by her side and hugs her while she cries. 

"Shhhh," said Louisiana. She patted Raymie on the back..."I'm sorry for your loss."

Raymie heard the squeaky sound of air entering and exiting Louisiana's swampy lungs...

"There, there," said Louisiana. "You just keep crying." 

Her lungs squeaked and her bunny barrettes made clicking sounds each time she patted Raymie's back...Raymie would have thought that there would be no comfort to be had from someone as 

insubstantial as Louisiana holding her, but it was actually very comforting, 

even with all the barrettes and lung wheezing. (148)

Unfortunately, Louisiana's grandmother was there to steal some food for them. Unwittingly, Louisiana leaves the auditorium through an emergency exit, setting off the alarm, but further aiding her grandmother's escape, avoiding apprehension! 

And so it is that through calamity and chaos: a runaway grocery cart with a girl and dog, a swimming dog, a girl who cannot swim, a girl just rescued from drowning, a hospital stay, a Little Miss Central Florida 1975 contest winner, and a trip to the top of Belknap Tower, that Raymie Clarke, Beverly Tapinski, and Louisiana Elefante truly do become "the Three Rancheros" and love and support each other as true friends do. Oh, and Archie. How could I forget about Archie? :)

This is definitely one for my grandchildren to own and read.

Have you read any of DiCamillo's books?

I find her writing style to be unique and touching. 

Kinda a Creepy Title...but an unexpectedly poignant read!

Tell The Wolves I'm Home 

by Carol Rifka Brunt

Image courtesy of Carol Rifka Brunt's website

Admittedly, this title threw me a bit the first time I saw it... Immediately, I was groaning to myself and imagining some urban setting with werewolves, zombies, or whatever, though when I gave it some thought, several authors who recommended it typically don't read such urban fantasies. I began investigating in earnest and learned it was not that type of book at all! Then one of our book club members suggested we read it...and here we are today! I literally read this book in one day, that is how enthralling I found it to be. Brunt's writing flowed serenely along, much like the stream in the woods behind the school. This book resonated with me on so many levels. I found similarities to Tartt's The Goldfinch in the ultimate importance of a work of art to other people, and Benjamin's Alice I Have Been in the possibly inappropriate sexual thoughts about or relationship with an older person.

As you might realize by now, if you have read many of my reviews here or on Goodreads, I typically read for characterization first--make me believe in these characters, please! :) Brunt delivers exactly that. I am quite satisfied when I complete a novel and feel as if I have made "friends" with the characters and would LOVE to know what happens to them next. However, I always realize there is never a "stopping point" where I would feel as if I know everything about them. I am amazed at the level of writing contained within this novel, considering it is her debut! Wow...I will anxiously await future publications, of which I hope there will be many. 

Brunt states in the Question/Answer section at the back of my paperback edition that she did not initially consider this to be much of a "coming-of-age" novel, but I believe it definitely is, and I'm glad she did further editing/writing to better define this theme. June is not perhaps "typical" among her adolescent peers, and yet, who really is? (I don't believe there is a "normal" when discussing human nature/behaviors!) We are each individuals and even as children, especially adolescents, each of us experiences our own pressures and challenges, though we all may believe virtually every other child has it much better/easier then we do! In effect, I felt this book fully demonstrated the "anti-bullying" concept of acceptance and empathy toward others, regardless of our impressions or preconceived notions. The reader feels June's shyness and lack of social skills to mix and mingle and make friends, though her sister, Greta, is the exact opposite--gregarious, talented, and popular amongst her peers. Being an only child perhaps limits my credibility in this area, but for me, Brunt's depiction of this sibling relationship seemed accurate and I thoroughly resonated with both June and Greta. Our other book club members with siblings agreed this relationship was portrayed accurately. 

June is literally trying to define herself. (Aren't we all? LOL) This proves to be a bit more difficult for her than it appears to be for Greta, though we later learn that Greta has her own demons to conquer. And this is, in my opinion, one of the main themes in this book, accept others with empathy and sympathy--do not judge. As we learn of Finn and Danni's history, we see how devastating and perpetual the consequences can be when relationships are damaged by hurt, judgment, and most importantly, holding grudges; being unable to forgive and accept the choices others make. I believe Finn's supposed "abandonment" was simply his only option for dealing with his sexual identity in the '60's and '70's, especially given that his father was a strict military man, however, that one decision held repercussions for the future beyond anyone's imaginings at the time... And this is true, we can never know the long-term results of the seemingly inconsequential decisions any of us makes on any given day. 

While I loved this book, reactions among our book club members was mixed. Three members felt it definitely required reading the first third or so before it began to flow for them, but once it did, two of them liked it and the third rated it "so-so." The fourth person felt it was a really good book. The good news? No one "hated" it! :) The themes contained herein made excellent fodder for discussion. There were mixed reactions to the idea that June's attraction to Finn was possibly inappropriate; most felt it was rather typical of an adolescent who was just beginning to think such thoughts to initially experiment with them toward the people with whom they have the closest relationships. I would argue that society then teaches us to stifle what may be considered inappropriate according to social norms, forcing us to focus such thoughts in "socially acceptable" ways. Fortunately, even very recently, attitudes appear to be changing overall among the US populace regarding acceptance of "non-heterosexuality" and those who identify as other than "straight." 

A consideration I found to be interesting dealt with the time of publication. If this had been released in 2012 rather than 2014, might readers' reactions perhaps be quite different, given some of the themes (homosexuality, AIDS, etc.) depicted? We all felt many more readers would likely not be as accepting just two years ago as they might be now, especially toward a "gay" couple. And the painting of Greta and June, we wished it had been left in its altered state, thereby preserving the further "edits." The teapot and the wolf, from the title and the cover image...so meaningful!

My favorite character was Finn. I believe he was the most loving and caring character of them all--leaving notes for both June and Toby to take care of each other, how sweet! And the basement "room" created as Toby's hideout when June visited. I loved Finn's love for others. 

Have you read this one yet? I think you will not be disappointed if you do... I loved it! I believe I have another favorite author! 'Cause, I need more favorites!!