Lark and Termite
Feb 9, 2009
Lark and Termite
Written by Jayne Anne Phillips
On Sale: January 6, 2009
Price: $24.00
ISBN: 978-0-375-40195-4 (0-375-40195-4)
Imprint: Knopf
Written by Jayne Anne Phillips
On Sale: January 6, 2009
Price: $24.00
ISBN: 978-0-375-40195-4 (0-375-40195-4)
Imprint: Knopf
Set both in West Virginia and Korea during the 1950s, each chapter of this book is a told from a different person's viewpoint, in the end building a story as to how all the lives described come together and affect each other.
This is not a happy, carefree book - most of the the people in the story are less than steller citizens of the world, but in the end, in their own way, they care about each other... as much as they can. Most are struggling to maintain a halfway decent way of life. While not a happy book, it does show the resilience of human spirit and the endurance of love.
We have the parents, Leavitt and Lola, who are worlds apart, physically and emotionally. Neither is able to raise the children, Lark and Termite, each for their own reasons that are slow to be uncovered. The children are raised by their Aunt Nonie, who has her own issues and struggles.
Lark is a young girl abandoned by her mother, never knowing her father, coming into herself and growing up, while at the same time struggling to care for her beloved younger brother, Termite.
Termite is a loving, kind, gentle boy who suffers from Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus. He cannot walk, can barely hold his head up and has trouble saying more than 2 words at a time. Child Services pops in on a regular basis to attempt once more to place Termite in a children's home, while Nonie and Lark fight them every step of the way. It may be a struggling family household, but it's a family nevertheless and they are determined to stay together.
Termite is a loving, kind, gentle boy who suffers from Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus. He cannot walk, can barely hold his head up and has trouble saying more than 2 words at a time. Child Services pops in on a regular basis to attempt once more to place Termite in a children's home, while Nonie and Lark fight them every step of the way. It may be a struggling family household, but it's a family nevertheless and they are determined to stay together.
Then Nonie is taken away from them, with no known return date and decisions must be made - before the state makes decisions for them.
I will warn that this book is written in a rather disjointed way - random, choppy sentences. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, it just means you have to concentrate a little harder while reading it.
One little sidenote about the book - it has a great look! Kraft paper bag material is used for the cover and the entire book has a nice recycled look to it.
