This is one of those books that everyone seems shocked to hear I haven't read, yet I don't recall ever thinking about it until I started on the Newbery quest.
I like most of this book. It has that intertwining story idea that I love. It has a nice road trip element to it. There is some interesting social commentary. It even manages to deliver a couple of good twists.
However there were some elements that rubbed me the wrong way. There is a lot of Native American imagery portrayed in a very generic way. As though Native Americans from Kentucky to Idaho were all just one homogenous group. I'm not versed enough to know what each region's tribes are like - but I do know they are varied.
There are other things - Salamanca's name being a misheard or misremembered version of Seneca, the tribe her mother supposedly belongs to and is proud of. (For a better breakdown see this post on AICL.) Sal's Grandmother dons a headdress and somehow ends up in the middle of a tribal dance. 😳
Of course there's also the title...
I like the general message of the book, but some of these issues could be cleaned up.
My next issue is a nitpick. Sal and her grandparents stop at the Missouri River in South Dakota. Sal's grandmother gets bit by a snake which she refers to as a cottonmouth. Either she's wrong or the author is. Since no one ever clarifies the grandmother's mistake (including a local boy and hospital staff) I'm forced to assume that Creech just used a venomous snake she knew liked water.
No where near South Dakota...
After a day in the hospital (1 day?!?) they are back on their way to Idaho with grandmother sliding continuously downhill. STOP AT A HOSPITAL!!!
The best part of this book is undeniably the message. Grief is something that hits everyone in different ways, we all need to face it, and it can introduce new things and people into our lives. Grief is strongest for those we've loved - but the flip side of a life with no great loves is even sadder.
I liked the realistic setting and style (Phoebe's story was every bit as believable and important as Sal's.) I know I've read some of Creech's other work and I'd be interested in how it compares.
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