Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

I’ve written about Kate DiCamillo and her different kinds of books before–how she’s always a beautiful writer, but her books can trend either toward a fabulous story or an odd philosophical flight, at least in my opinion. After reading Raymie Nightingale and Louisiana’s Way Home, the two books preceding Beverly, Right Here, I was excited to read Beverly; I particularly loved Louisiana’s Way Home, and I was hoping for another story in the same vein. I was worried, then, when Beverly seemed to be trending towards the philosophical end of the spectrum. As the book progressed, however, the story stepped more fully into the spotlight, and I laughed out loud more than once during the last quarter of it. (I need to talk with someone else who’s just read it, so I can quote “Is that a whiffle bat?” and giggle.) There is pain here–DiCamillo doesn’t shy away from writing about pain–but it’s balanced nicely by a few truly lovable characters (and at least one that’s delightfully unlovable.) Beverly’s journey is a different one from Raymie’s and Lousiana’s–she’s coming from a different place, after all–but it’s possibly even more moving. If you’re ambivalent at first, stick with Beverly.

I promise you’ll love the ending.