The Outsiders: an iconic coming of age story

Everyone is probably well aware of the coming of age classic, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Since its publication in 1967, it has become an iconic classic. It became a beloved classic film in 1983 which starred relatively unknown actors but who became household names. Actors like C. Thomas Howell, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze and so many more. The New York Times stated, “The Outsiders transformed young-adult fiction from a genre mostly about prom queens, football players and high school crushes to one that portrayed a darker, truer world." I first read The Outsiders in 7th grade and it was the first time I read a book to analyze themes and messages. It was the first book which has stuck with me even thirty years later! Recently, I reread The Outsiders and I was immediately transported back to the 7th grade and recaptured my love for this beautiful story. 

It is a beloved story of heroism, friendship and belonging. No one said life was easy but 14-year old Ponyboy Curtis is confident he has it figured out. He knows he can count on his older brothers, Darry and Sodapop. He knows he can count on his friends, true friends who would have his back for anything. He also knows he can count on trouble with the Socs, the gang of rich kids who take pleasure in beating up the “greasers” like Ponyboy and his friends. One night, after an innocent interaction with two Soc girls, the tension rises and turns deadly leaving one Soc dead and Ponyboy and his friend, Johnny, running for their lives. Convinced their version of events would not be believed, the boys go into hiding until an act of heroism brings them in the limelight. Ponyboy must learn that life isn’t always greener on the other side. 

The Outsiders is gritty, dramatic and remains as powerful today as it was when it was first published. It laid the groundwork for the Young Adult genre. S.E. Hinton wrote this story when she was 15 years old after she witnessed her friend get jumped by rich kids. The Outsiders was and is a controversial book and it is challenged and debated today. It was ranked #38 on the American Library Association’s Top 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of the 1990s. It has been banned for the portrayal of gang violence, underage drinking and smoking, and family dysfunction. However, the book is still a part of the curriculum at the middle and high school levels in the US schools. I look forward to introducing my daughters to this beautiful story. If you have never read The Outsiders, I highly, highly, highly recommend it! Then I recommend watching the film. 

The Outsiders is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Outsiders movie is available in Blu-ray, DVD and streaming

Between Earth and Sky: friendship, betrayal and the sacrifices made in order to belong

Between Earth and Sky by Amanda Skenandore is a tragic story that intersects the white and Native American culture when a young girl learns about friendship, betrayal and the sacrifices made in order to belong. One morning in Philadelphia in 1906, Alma Mitchell reads a newspaper headline that shakes her to her core and brings to the surface a past she kept hidden. A federal agent was killed and Harry Muskrat, or Asku as Alma knew him, is the prime suspect. Asku was once the most promising student at the Stover School, a “savage-taming” boarding school that was run by her father. The school was created to assimilate the children of neighboring reservations. Assimilation at the cost of everything they've known: their language, customs, and their very names. Alma knows the boy she knew would never commit murder but doesn’t recognize the man he had become: an outcast in the white world and a ghost in his own. Stewart, her lawyer husband, reluctantly agrees to help defend Asku. Will they be able to successfully defend Asku? What will happen when Alma finally must reveal the secrets she hides? 

Between Earth and Sky is told between alternating timelines between Alma’s childhood and the present. It is a beautifully complex story that tells a haunting and yet true period of American History. While there were some motives that were altruistic, others were determined to kill the Indian in the man. It is a story that will break your heart as you read the harsh treatment that was done to ensure the Indian cultures were erased. In some cases, they have succeeded as many Indian languages have been lost to time while others are seeing a resurgence due to the careful preservations. It is a story about love, loss, justice and the journey toward understanding and atonement. The growth that Alma goes through from the beginning to the end of the book is difficult. At some points, I thought she would never truly see what her Native friends were trying to show her. I have read about the Indian boarding schools before and this book does an excellent job depicting the cruelty and harshness toward the native students. I enjoyed Between Earth and Sky and highly recommend it. 

Between Earth and Sky is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook. 

 

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The Wideness of the Sea: the search for home and forgiveness

The Wideness of the Sea by Katie Curtis is a story of family, following your dreams and returning home. Anna Goodrich is a 28-year-old art gallery worker in New York City with friends and a handsome boyfriend. She rarely thinks about her family in her hometown of New Harbor, Maine. She left it all behind after the death of her beloved mother. One day she gets terrible news. Her uncle had passed away suddenly and Anna finds herself on the road back home for his funeral. While she is there, she must deal with her widowed father who she has butted heads with about her career path. She discovers that her uncle has left her his house and she must stay to clean it out. Anna finds herself being pulled back into life of the seaside town. Her boyfriend, boss, and friends are urging her to return to her life in New York. Anna must decide does she stay in Maine or does she return in New York? Will she be able to find healing from the past and find the life she has been searching for?

The Wideness of the Sea is a beautiful story of family, tragedy and finding healing by the sea. Ms. Curtis’ descriptions of Maine are so vivid, I could almost smell the saltiness of the ocean. I would love to visit Maine now after reading her story. The ending was predictable, and you can see it coming a mile away; however, it is still a beautiful story of forgiveness and discovering where you truly belong. I loved the scene where Anna realizes that our loved ones never truly leave us. We are always connected through our memories and love. I recommend The Wideness of the Sea.

The Wideness of the Sea

Is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Book Charmer: when books truly speak!

The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins is the story of a small town with a magical family. Dove Pond was founded by the Dove family in the 1700s. A family with special gifts. As the story opens in 2001, we meet Sarah Dove, the seventh daughter, on her seventh birthday when something extraordinary happens: a book speaks to her! Not just catches her attention but speaks to her. Once she embraces the books, a whole new world opens to her. Grace Wheeler and her sister, Hannah, have been bounced from one foster home to another, and their last chance to stay together is at Mama G’s house. For the first time, despite her best efforts not to, Grace finally feels like she’s home. Fast forward to 2019, Grace is headed to Dove Pond with Mama G, who is now suffering from Alzheimer’s, and her niece, Daisy. Grace has taken a job as the town clerk, reluctantly, but they all need a change of scenery for a while. When she arrives, Sarah, now the town librarian, feels a change in the air, something good is going to happen to their town. At first, Grace keeps everyone at arm’s length, determined to do the job she was hired for and move on. Will the Dove Family Good Luck help win her over? How will the books help Sarah convince Grace to stay?

I loved, loved this book! From the open chapter, really a girl who can hear the books?!? To the closing pages, I fell in love with everyone in this lovely small town. I laughed, I cried. I smiled so much my face hurt! I could sympathize with Grace as she struggles to care for her ailing Mama G, learning to raise her niece and learning to ask for help. As a foster child, attachment meant pain, so Grace pushes everyone aside because it is what she knows. Sarah, who believes Grace is the key to save their town, won’t be pushed aside. Every small town has their characters from the mayor who likes the status quo, to the wealthy family who likes everyone to know it and those who hide their pain and suffering, everyone has a story. The Book Charmer is the first book in the Dove Pond series and I highly recommend it! I cannot wait to read more about this town and its wonderful residents.

The Book Charmer

is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook