Genre: Middle Grade (3-7) / Magical Realism / Family & Loss
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
After her grandfather died from a heart attack while driving his tractor on Solace Hill, twelve-year-old Esme’s been inextricably drawn to that spot, although her grandmother warns her to stay away. But when she follows her little brother, Bo, and her dog, Old Jack, up the hill while chasing fireflies, she makes an incredible discovery—dinosaur bones peeking out from underneath the abandoned tractor.
The bones must be a message from her grandfather, a connection from beyond the grave. But when word gets out that the farm is hiding something valuable, reporters, researchers, and neighbors arrive in droves. Esme struggles to understand who has her best interests at heart, especially as the memory of her grandfather begins to slip away.
Full of friendship and adventure, and featuring a palpable Texas setting, Finding Esme is a moving and heartfelt story about family, friendship, and learning to deal with loss.
“Esme is a brave, appealing heroine with the odds stacked against her… Bad blood and layered family secrets drive this story to its ultimately optimistic and satisfying conclusion.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)
“Esme McCauley is a lonely but spirited 12-year-old who feels nothing ever happens to her the way it’s supposed to…A poignant tale for readers who enjoy character-driven realism.” — School Library Journal
“Readers muddling through preteen changes or unstable family lives will identify with Esme’s struggles, but the thrill of discovery will appeal to most.” — Booklist
“It’s the art of finding a heartbeat in the darkness a mile away, a dragonfly wing at the bottom of a river.”
Finding Esme by Suzanne Crowley is a delightful yet mournful coming-of-age story about a young girl carrying far too much weight on her small shoulders. Esme has recently lost the one person she feels loved her best, her grandfather, Paps. Esme’s father, Harlan, has run off again, and her mother, June Rain, is lost in her own world filled with longing and sadness. Esme’s little brother, Bo, is carefree, but there may be more lurking under the surface.
While Esme is naturally the protagonist in Finding Esme, her grandmother, Bee, is a strong force in her life and throughout the book, linked to Esme through blood and the gift of finding things. For both, finding things is a blessing and a curse, and refusing to answer the call of this talent is not an option for either of them. Some things are never meant to be discovered, and their finding often has dire consequences, but some found things create a ripple effect of goodness, reward, and healing.
Paps’s rusting tractor marks the spot on Solace Hill where he breathed his last, and Esme finds her own solace lying under the tractor, accompanied by a horned toad she calls Bump. Rain has a way of making things easier to find that have long remained buried, and when Esme stumbles over a dinosaur bone emerging from the mud on Solace Hill, life becomes even more complicated, mysterious, and magical.
Suzanne Crowley presents a sweet Southern story about loss, abandonment, and the residual effects of leaving, either through death or by just walking away. Esme is an enigma because she seemed all grown up at her premature birth and even now when her twelve-year-old body is reluctant to mature. But Esme is still a child, and the author gives her character a tender heart and all the development and potential she needs to shine, to love, and to grow into her ability to find things, her large ears, and her training bra.
Friendship plays a big part in this story, especially between Esme and her friend Finch, who has his own set of problems but finds solace and sanctuary in Esme’s friendship. With the characterization of these two, I periodically felt a gossamer connection to Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. The pace, tone, and writing are quite smooth in Finding Esme, floating along on the wings of honeybees and fireflies. The magical realism here is heavy on the realism because while Esme’s and Bee’s gifts for finding things have a supernatural aspect, they are still plausible and believable, even as they are wondrous and full of mystery.
The ending is a mix of heartache, melancholy, closure, and hope. Both finding things and letting go are big parts of this beautiful story and add to the heartbeat and purpose of Finding Esme, leaving the reader with the satisfaction and joy in knowing that good people and good things are still out there just waiting to be found.
Enter the giveaway below on or before February 21, 2020, for a chance to win some fabulous prizes!
I received a free copy of this book from Lone Star Book Blog Tours in exchange for my honest review.
February 11-21, 2020
VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:
| 2/11/20 | Review | Momma on the Rocks |
| 2/11/20 | Review | The Page Unbound |
| 2/12/20 | Audio Review | Hall Ways Blog |
| 2/12/20 | Review | Librariel Book Adventures |
| 2/13/20 | Review | Jennifer Silverwood |
| 2/14/20 | Review | Missus Gonzo |
| 2/14/20 | Review | #Bookish |
| 2/15/20 | Review | Reading by Moonlight |
| 2/16/20 | Review | StoreyBook Reviews |
| 2/17/20 | Review | Story Schmoozing Book Reviews |
| 2/17/20 | Review | Rebecca R. Cahill, Author |
| 2/18/20 | Review | All the Ups and Downs |
| 2/19/20 | Review | That’s What She’s Reading |
| 2/20/20 | Review | Books and Broomsticks |
| 2/20/20 | Audio Review | Forgotten Winds |
Yes! What makes this book work is the magical realism is realistic! Great review, as always. Thanks for the post.
Thanks! Yes, suspending our disbelief makes books quite enjoyable, but I really think that Bee’s and Esme’s talents can be real. Some people are hyper aware and more in tune with the world. Love this book for so many reasons!