Rating: 
Summary: An American Classic
Review: The first time I read "This is Graceanne's Book,"
I did so without pausing. When I closed the
book's cover at four in the morning, I knew that
I had just been privileged to experience a tale
of American literature that will remain in my
heart and my mind's eye forever.The second time I read the novel, I found myself
poring over the chapters -- absorbing the beauty
of Whitney's vivid settings and inventive dialogue. I treated myself to a few chapters each day, wanting
to prolong my reunion with the lovable and precocious
Charlie (the boy narrator) and his irrepressible yet
noble sister Graceanne. Whitney archived a time in American history when
women struggled for financial independence; society
struggled with racial issues; and children struggled
to remain out of crossfire of their elders. The kids of Cranepool's Landing didn't have television,
they had something far greater: imagination, and a gritty
determination to puzzle through life's mysteries on their
own terms, using their own self-taught codes of honor. Charlie, Graceanne, Wanda, Kentucky, and Collier
will win your heart as Jem, Dil and Scout did in
"To Kill a Mockingbird." Reading "This is Graceanne's Book" gives you an insight
into the American experience that should not be overlooked.
Rating:
Summary: You won't be able to put this one down
Review: The minute I finished this book I wanted to talk about it with someone. I wanted to explore the rich Missouri setting, the strong characters that are authentic and interesting, and the issues of racisim and child abuse that rage through this novel like the river that floods Graceanne's home town. In a nutshell, Graceanne is a spirited highly intelligent child who is the sole recipient of her mother's violent abuse. She remains strong, witty and true to herself throughout the entire novel. I strongly disagree with a fellow reviewer who believes that Graceanne "got what she deserved" because she was such a willful and devilish child. I believe her antics, such as hiding out in the school's flooded basement for two days so that she could be "Champion for Eternity" in a game of hide-and-seek, was her way of not letting the abuse do her in. It was her way of preserving her soul. At first I was really worried that the child-abuse scenes would be too vivid. I worried that they would be the central imagery of the story. They aren't. Whitney uses them just enough, and is detailed just enough, so that you know how sick the mother really is. The author often makes you laugh and smile at a small town childhood, and small town kids getting into small town mischief. This is really a story of kids overcoming the hands that life has delt them. Charlie overcoming his club foot, Graceanne her abuse and Wanda the racism that plagued that era of American history. These kids perservere with such charm and such thoughtfulness. In the end you are cheering for them, and praying that happiness will follow them beyond the wire hanger beatings of their childhood. This is a book that sticks with you. Read it.
Rating:
Summary: Touching story of courage and humour
Review: This book drew me in. I literally couldn't stop reading it and was finished in 2 days. The characters are great, I rooted for them throughout the book as they faced abuse at the hands of their mother (who had also been abused). They faced it with as much courage and dignity as one could hope for. The story was moving and inspiring. This book is great.
Rating: 
Summary: This Is Graceanne's Book
Review: This is a novel written as a memoir, but without the structure of a novel. The narrative covers a period of time, but merely recites, sometimes in agonizing and seemingly pointless detail, the events as they unfold. Yes, the mother is a sick twisted person, but Graceanne is, in part, responsible for setting her mother off. I found the dialogue well-written and the prose in general superb. However, the story doesn't go anywhere, nothing is resolved, and Graceanne is not a sympathetic figure (her final escapade almost made me feel that whatever she got from her mother, she richly deserved). P.L. Whitney is a marvelous writer, but this book needed more substance, and more explaining of it's reason for being. It's worth reading, but sometimes the narrative gets so bogged down in mundane detail that getting through is a struggle. I warn you, you won't feel too good when you are finished here.
Rating:
Summary: This Is Graceanne's Book
Review: This is a novel written as a memoir, but without the structure of a novel. The narrative covers a period of time, but merely recites, sometimes in agonizing and seemingly pointless detail, the events as they unfold. Yes, the mother is a sick twisted person, but Graceanne is, in part, responsible for setting her mother off. I found the dialogue well-written and the prose in general superb. However, the story doesn't go anywhere, nothing is resolved, and Graceanne is not a sympathetic figure (her final escapade almost made me feel that whatever she got from her mother, she richly deserved). P.L. Whitney is a marvelous writer, but this book needed more substance, and more explaining of it's reason for being. It's worth reading, but sometimes the narrative gets so bogged down in mundane detail that getting through is a struggle. I warn you, you won't feel too good when you are finished here.
Rating:
Summary: Excellant book about a year in the life of a family.
Review: This is a wonderful book that is exceptionally well written. It is the story of a family in turmoil as told by the youngest child, the only son. It is set in 1960-61 and reflects the attitudes of the time with the casual acceptance of racism and abuse. But it is also about overcoming these issues and setting oneself free.
Rating:
Summary: A testimony to the human spirit
Review: This is Graceanne's Book is a extraordinarily well-crafted testimony to the human spirit. I care about all of the characters, even the abusive mother, trapped in her own impossible situation. This is in my top five picks of outstanding books for 1999.
Rating:
Summary: A compelling story, filled with beauty and wonders
Review: THIS IS GRACEANNE'S BOOK is the most important and most beautiful work of fiction I've read in a long while. It is a book I will never forget. THIS IS GRACEANNE'S BOOK transports the reader to the year 1960 and to Cranepool's Landing, Missouri, a small town on the bank of the Mississippi River. Nine-year-old Charlie Farrand tells the story of a year in the lives of the Farrand family, a year when the temperament of the river was variable and unpredictable. Sometimes it was tranquil, flowing with lazy calmness, and other times it was turbulent, its destructive currents leaving wreckage along its path. And so it was in the Farrand home. It was the year of Ugly Blue Man. It was the year when a Negro girl became the Farrand kids' best friend. It was the year when twelve-year-old Graceanne was abused by her mother, and Charlie learned how to protect her, and Graceanne learned how to save herself. And it was the year when imagination and the magic of the planets saved them both. Charlie's narrative voice is so clear and believable that I remembered what it felt like to be a child -- when you knew you weren't smart enough to understand things adults said and did; and when you wanted more than anything to be able to do things better, but you were just a kid, and you didn't know how. Charlie reminded me of how frustrating it was to be a kid. Graceanne reminded me what it was like to be a kid, too -- when you had confidence to try anything because you knew you could do it; and when you had a brother and a sister you loved more than anything, but that didn't stop you from fighting with them. Graceanne reminded me of how smart I felt when I was a kid. Together, Charlie and Graceanne reminded me how wonderful, yet how difficult it was to be a child. The writing in THIS IS GRACEANNE'S BOOK is elegant and poetic, and the prose possesses a rhythmic cadence that serves as a subtle reminder of the continual presence of the river. The river is a integral element throughout the story, and it is so richly described that it remains in my memory as vividly as do the human characters. The prose is at once gentle in voice and powerful in imagery and emotion, capable of soothing the reader at one moment and shattering the reader the next. Readers who are familiar with Ms. Whitney's mystery series will be surprised and enchanted by this novel -- surprised because THIS IS GRACEANNE'S BOOK is not a mystery and the style is unlike the styles we have seen previously from Ms. Whitney, and readers will be enchanted by the beauty of the prose and the impact of the story. In THIS IS GRACEANNE'S BOOK, Ms. Whitney addresses themes of importance, and she does so eloquently. Some events in GRACEANNE are disturbing, but ultimately, THIS IS GRACEANNE'S BOOK is a celebration of spirit. It is a book filled with wonders. From now on, whenever I look at Mars, I will think of Graceanne and wonder what the astronomers are up to. This is a five-star book from beginning to end
Rating:
Summary: A classic!
Review: This story hooks you and draws you in, deep as the treacherous currents of the great river that flows through it. The wonderful, flawed, brave young characters will resonate in me forever. A quibble with the jacket blurb: this is nothing like "Our Town." It's infinitely more realistic and heart-breakingly funny.
Rating:
Summary: Good Old Fashioned Story of Childhood Innocence & Spirit
Review: Told from the vantage point of young Charlie Farrand, you'll find yourself in love with him & his older sister Graceanne in no time. Growing up poor in the Midwest in the 1960's, the kids of Cranespool Landing have fun the good old-fashioned way by playing in the muddy river, playing ramped up versions of hide & seek and the like. Despite growing up in a troubled household the Farrand children manage to have fun, create their own excitement and love one another. This novel is about the resiliency of the human spirit and about how strong the bonds of love between siblings can run. A balance of humor and heartbreak, it will have you laughing & crying. Charlie's unconditional love for his sister Graceanne is so pure & touching you'll wish you could wrap your arms around them both.
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