Cathy Carr

Rigel doesn't want to leave her beloved Alaskan bush cabin, but when her parents divorce, she is forced to move to Connecticut with her Mom and sisters. Connecticut is everything Alaska is not: crowded, small, and no wilderness at all. Her father promised if she could stay there a year, she could come back to live with him in Alaska. Rigel keeps her head down and counts the days. This is her story of finding home. The author includes wonderful tidbits of Alaskan bush lore and realistic viewpoints of each state's strengths and weaknesses. I fell in love with Rigel and her family and friends.… (lisätietoja)

Loved this one, the multi-dimensional characters, the art, and the overall feeling of warmth even when it’s talking about difficult things like abandonment and mental health.

I have an affinity for books where I get to “be there” with a character while they’re creating art, so I really enjoyed that aspect of this one, identifying with Franny in how exhilerating it can feel to get so lost in a project and the flipside of that euphoria where you second guess yourself and maybe get a little down on your work. The narrative as well as a note from the author were wonderfully encouraging about persisting with your art and the idea that you don’t necessarily need the most expensive supplies, amazing things can be made with found/recycled objects.

The family dynamics were just as standout for me as Franny’s interest in art. Franny lives with her grandmother, a relationship I thoroughly enjoyed as her gran can be kind of gruff at times and set in her ways but she so clearly adores this kid. Their interractions with Franny’s estranged uncle were great, too, he doesn’t just sweep back into their lives and all is well, he isn’t immediately treated like a hero just for finally showing up, the thawing process is realistically gradual. I also thought it was nicely done how we aren’t just shown the impact of her mother’s mental health struggle on Franny, the author gives us a sense of how her gran and uncle were affected in their own ways, too. This is my favorite kind of family to read about, imperfect still they keep on trying for each other.… (lisätietoja)