by Denise Gosliner Orenstein
About a quarter of the way into the book, I saw that it had been written by a professor, which made a lot of sense. This book is "high quality literary material," with symbolism and creative descriptions galore. One motif is space, often connected to the theme of loneliness, which is perfect for the historical setting in 1969. Volcanoes and eruptions are also used to symbolize the reason that a Native student, Dove, attacks his teacher in class one day. His foil, Edgar's friend John Moran, commits suicide.
The four narrators have distinctive, strong voices. Lorraine Hobbs, the most prevalent narrator, is a teenaged girl excessively concerned with her appearance. Her blue collar, irrepressible mother talks her into cooking for the local prison, then the Bethel receiving home. As a dynamic character, her experiences bonding with the receiving home children and searching for Dove Alexie teach her to care more about others and less about herself.
Annette Weinland is the 18-year-old daughter of a demanding minister who sees nothing but the faults and shortcomings of other people. Annette cooks, runs the household, and raises her four younger brothers after their mother leaves the family. She also volunteers at the local prison, where Dove Alexie is illegally incarcerated. Edgar Kwagley is a Yup'ik boy who loses his way at Mt. Edgecombe High School and becomes addicted to drugs and alcohol. Thelma Cooke, a 14-year-old girl at Mt. Edgecombe, longs for her young sister Rosie at the receiving home. She is raped by her guidance counselor, becomes depressed, and refuses to get out of bed, but when she hears about how Dove stood up to the teacher, she slowly begins to heal.
Annette Weinland is the 18-year-old daughter of a demanding minister who sees nothing but the faults and shortcomings of other people. Annette cooks, runs the household, and raises her four younger brothers after their mother leaves the family. She also volunteers at the local prison, where Dove Alexie is illegally incarcerated. Edgar Kwagley is a Yup'ik boy who loses his way at Mt. Edgecombe High School and becomes addicted to drugs and alcohol. Thelma Cooke, a 14-year-old girl at Mt. Edgecombe, longs for her young sister Rosie at the receiving home. She is raped by her guidance counselor, becomes depressed, and refuses to get out of bed, but when she hears about how Dove stood up to the teacher, she slowly begins to heal.
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