Sticklebacks and Snow Globes

Although I'm not usually a fan of child-centric fiction, I enjoyed these stories (chapters?) about young Tot and her family living under difficult conditions in England. Tot's challenges–she has “fits” (epilepsy); she's younger (and brighter) than everyone else in the neighborhood; her father's ambitions of jazz stardom have taken him off to New Orleans. The book is filled with very believable characters and situations.

While the chapters read like stand-alone stories, the overall effect is of a novel. Recommended!

I wouldn't call this a novel. Personally, I would say this is yet another example of (loosely connected) interconnected short stories. Whatever you call it, it's a pretty good book.

More than anything else, the characters are what sets this book apart. The children–and Goodjohn stays largely with her juvenile characters–are portrayed in a manner which is entertaining and accurate. The author does a fabulous job taking us into the minds of these children, a talent sorely missed in many novels with young characters. In characterization, I'd say “Sticklebacks and Snow Globes” is right up there with “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

Apart from its characters, the rest of this book is good, but nothing extremely memorable. For being a virtually unknown book, I was thoroughly impressed. I would read B.A. Goodjohn again; I just hope that her next book tackles a more engaging plot.