<i>Take Me with You</i> (review)
2010; Johns Hopkins University Press; Volume: 63; Issue: 8 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1353/bcc.0.1684
ISSN1558-6766
Autores ResumoReviewed by: Take Me with You Hope Morrison Marsden, Carolyn. Take Me with You. Candlewick, 2010 [176p]. ISBN 978-0-7636-3739-2 $14.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 4-7 At the end of World War II, countless babies were deposited on the steps of the Istituto di Gesù Bambino, an orphanage in Naples, Italy. Ten years have passed, and many of the girls remain at the orphanage, where they have been raised and educated by the nuns. Susanna, the main character, is a mulatta (her father is believed to have been an African-American GI), and she thus assumes that no Italian family will ever adopt her; her best friend Pina has blonde braids, a slightly rebellious streak, and no information at all about her parentage. As the story opens, both girls learn key information about their roots: Susanna's father, an African-American sailor, contacts the orphanage, having just learned that she exists, and Pina, through a little late-night sleuthing in the head nun's office, learns that her birth mother lives right there in Naples. As the girls hesitantly move forward in finding out more about who they are, they discover that sometimes it's harder to face the pain of abandonment when you come closer to having family: Susanna's father fails to show up for a visit after they have a small disagreement, and Pina's mother rejects her when they finally meet. Though the plot sometimes rambles a bit, the girls' interwoven stories (most chapters are from Susanna's perspective, while others are from Pina's) and their shared exploration of their individual histories are well crafted, and readers will feel compassion for both the children and their circumstances. At its heart, this is a story about two girls who yearn to belong, and that's a classic orphan-story sentiment that should draw readers to this unusual historical tale. There's no note about the history, but a glossary is included. Copyright © 2010 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
Referência(s)