Every Bone A Prayer
Book - 2020
"In her rural Appalachian holler, ten-year-old Misty's closest friends are the crawdads. Misty can speak to them, to the birds, to the creek, to everything outside, and she understands how they think. She knows that if she could just speak to her parents in the same way, she could stop all the fighting. But it's too hard. When her only friend William takes their friendship too far, Misty doesn't know how to get help. This is the story of one tough-as-nails girl whose choices are few but whose imagination is boundless, as her manner of coping with trauma becomes an adventure for everyone in her holler. Written by a survivor of sexual abuse, this is a beautifully honest story of healing and of hope"--Provided by publisher.
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Publisher:
Naperville, Illinois : Sourcebooks Landmark, [2020]
ISBN:
9781728216218
1728216214
1728216214
Characteristics:
345 pages ; 21 cm
Call Number:
BLOOMS, A
Opinion
From Library Staff
From Library Staff
A New & Noteworthy staff pick 2020. A powerful and haunting coming-of-age debut tells the story of 10-year-old Misty who lives in an Appalachian holler. It's unlike anything I have read before.
Such an interesting, moving and heartfelt debut by this author. The way she described Misty and how she communicated with the world around her was fascinating. I highly recommend reading this unusual story. You will be drawn in.
From the critics
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Add a CommentA unique coming of age story that features an intriguing storyline. The author does a great job placing the reader in the main character's shoes and describes situations in an artistic way which makes the reader truly ponder over the implication of certain events. This book also features magic in reference to the idea that every one is all connected which I found to be very appealing.
Misty is an unusual child, living in her Appalachian hollow with an ability to communicate with the natural world: trees, rocks, animals--and particularly crawdads, which seem to be her special companions. It turns out that this link to the natural world helps her feel safe when her young life is in tortured turmoil. Misty is the victim of rape, relentlessly assaulted by the teenage boy next door. The silence and shame she endures eventually manifests in the ultimate attempt at escape, and healing only comes as she communes with another victim of domestic violence.
Ashley Blooms lets us know in a preface that she herself is a survivor, and warns her readers about the novel's triggers. This creative effort to express the feelings and experiences of her young character is handled with perceptive intelligence through a lens of magical realism. When Misty feels an urgent pull to escape, this demand on her psyche becomes physically realized in a disquieting manner, a process of shedding her body to leave the pain behind. This approach will not work for everyone, but readers who don't mind fantasy elements expressing devastating emotional landscapes will be rewarded with a compelling protagonist and a story arc that, despite some uneven plotting, reaches a satisfying resolution.
A New & Noteworthy staff pick 2020. A powerful and haunting coming-of-age debut tells the story of 10-year-old Misty who lives in an Appalachian holler. It's unlike anything I have read before.
Such an interesting, moving and heartfelt debut by this author. The way she described Misty and how she communicated with the world around her was fascinating. I highly recommend reading this unusual story. You will be drawn in.