I stopped doing book reviews in 2013, but this book, set in the area of the Southern Appalachians where I grew up, really brought back memories of the traditions and values of my childhood. I just had to spread the good news about this wonderful book.
Book
Review
By Becky Mushko
Available from Becky Mushko at HTTP://WWW.BECKYMUSHKO.COM
Reviewed By
Linda Goodman
I stopped doing CD and book reviews at
the end of 2013, but reading Becky Mushko’s latest book Them That Go, set in the 1970’s in the same Virginia
mountains where I was born and raised, has inspired me to put on my reviewer’s
cap one last time.
This
book is a coming of age story about Annie Caldwell, a teenager who truly
marches to the beat of a different drummer. Her family is poor, and they live
in a run-down home that has no electricity and no indoor plumbing. Even though
a year has passed since his death, the family is still in mourning for Annie’s
brother, who was killed in Viet Nam.
Throughout
the trials and tribulations of adolescence, Annie’s best friend and confidant
is her Aint Lulie, who dispenses advice like good medicine: “There’s always
been them that stay and them that go in ever’ generation;” “Don’t waste words
on them that will not listen nor understand.”
Aint
Lulie, whose second sight allows her to have visions of the dead, also helps
Annie use and understand her own gift of the second sight, which allows her to
communicate with animals. This gift will serve her well in a variety of
circumstances, including the search for a missing beauty queen and her football
player boyfriend.
I
particularly enjoyed becoming re-acquainted with the customs and superstitions
that I left behind so many years ago. “If a bird makes a nest of your hair,
you’ll go crazy.” (My brother’s head was attacked by a bird once. It took away
a big chunk of his hair.) “We rubbed our faces and arms with mashed peppermint
leaves and stems to keep away the skeeters.” (It works.) My favorite: upon leaving someone’s home, the
guest says,”I’d ought to go. Y’all ought to come with me.” The host replies, “I
cain’t. You ought to spend the night.” I remember my own aunt almost falling
out of her chair when one guest took her offer seriously and agreed to stay the
night.
Will
Annie be one of them that stay or one of them that go? You will have to read the book to find out.
As
for me, this book made me homesick. I think it’s time for a visit.
