Wednesday, November 14, 2012

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

This books carried me back to a time on the outskirts of my memories. My mom is a wilted flower child who still seems to exist in the 1970's. She is strong willed, passionate and always working for the cause, any cause. As I read the story and tried to figure out what went wrong. Why would Cecile leave right after Fern was born? Was she crazy? Did she not care about her girls? What could have been so important as to make her leave her babies and travel to the other side of the country? I read the book hoping the answer was simple that maybe she was planning on returning but didn't know how. I was transported back to a little girl wondering where her mother had gone. Why had she left? When would we see her again? 
I could feel Delphine's strength and determination to do things rights and set them straight. I understood inherently the role of the oldest sister living in a home without a mother. I wanted Cecile to say sorry that she made a mistake that it was just a miscommunication and everything would be okay. Delphine looked out for her sisters even when Cecile could not or would not. She tried to resist the "cause" and fought hard to block out the Black Panthers, poetry and news surrounding her but she slowly began to give in to the collective spirit surrounding her. Delphine found herself in a battle of will between the voices of Cecile and those of her father and Big Ma at home. It was in this struggle that resolution was found. Although Cecile didn't apologize or come back she was better understood and forgiven at the end of the novel. I felt an overwhelmingly connection to Delphine as my mother was called away in the same way. I still don't understand how it happened or why but I do forgive her and try to understand her now. 

This was a beautifully written book full of historic connections and wonderful teaching moments. 

This is a video of Rita Williams Garcia discussing One Crazy Summer


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