Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

Oh, Kate DiCamillo.

The woman can write SO beautifully–and she can pull you far enough into a story that you want to finish it. But MAN, she gets weird! To be fair, I did expect Raymie Nightingale to be quirky; after all, the inside cover begins its synopsis by telling you that Raymie’s father has run away with a dental hygienist, and Raymie plans to learn how to twirl a baton, win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition, and get her picture in the paper, all so that he will see it and come home. (That says quirky to you, too, right?) What I didn’t expect, however–but probably should have, in a general sort of way–was the focus on Raymie’s soul and its ever-shifting size, the odd evolution of the pet situation, and the surprisingly satisfying ending after a very wandering sort of plot. For those familiar with DiCamillo’s work–apart from Because of Winn-Dixie, which was delightful and beautiful in a very not-weird sort of way–it should come as no surprise that I’m unable to give you much more than that. At the end of the day, though, Raymie and her friends are characters worth knowing, so what can I say? You might as well embrace the weird.