This book was... okaaaaay... I've seen a few reviews from people that have read more of Ruth Sawyer's books and they seem to agree that this is not her best work. In this very episodic story 10 year old Lucinda is left with some family friends in NYC while her parents spend a year in Italy. We are given a lovely setting filled with a variety of characters - perhaps too many characters. I liked all of them but none was quite fleshed out to their fullest potential because we had to bounce around between more than 20 side characters in a 200 page novel. And there were three lousy conclusions - I'm gonna drop what would be a major spoiler in any other novel - you've been warned....
A) One of Lucinda's many friends, an East Asian woman referred to by Lucinda as Princess Zayda is murdered
B) Tony and Luc- you're still thinking about point A aren't you?
Yep, murder. It is hinted that domestic abuse is involved but I'm not sure I'd have picked up on that subtext as a child reader. Lucinda begins visiting this woman frequently and once the woman's husband angrily comes home but seems relieved to find Lucinda instead of another man. Lucinda is so afraid she runs away. Over the novel Lucinda gives the woman English lessons and drops in to visit her frequently. After being dismissed early from school one day she decides to surprise her friend and goes to her apartment - where she discovers that she has been stabbed with a dagger that is still in her body! Lucinda quickly summons the landlord who says that it wouldn't do for Lucinda to be involved with the police so they will wait until the maid discovers the body and the whole thing is never really mentioned again??? I cannot fathom why this was put in the book only to be dismissed so completely. I saw a couple people mention that this book is loosely autobiographical... did... did little Ruth discover a murder victim?
Moving on.
B) Tony and Lucinda have the worst possible conclusion. Theirs is probably the strongest relationship in the book and it is so completely wasted at the end. (When hearing there was a sequel I was sure we were in for more Tony and Lucinda but.... guess not since the sequel is in Maine.) These two have been really happy and helpful friends throughout the book but they just kind of part without any good bye and that is partly due to....
C) The book just ends. I can see how the abrupt ending of Lucinda looking to the reservoir and asking her reflection if she'd like to always be 10 and stay forever in the park led Peter Sieruta, a blogger and book reviewer with far more credentials than I, to assume the book ended with her suicide. The book feels like the last several pages managed to get lost!
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