I am not sure if this is meant as a look into a girl with mild
Asperger's, but I did think of it several times while reading this book,
especially at the beginning. Later on in the book, you find out that
her beloved father was killed in a car accident. This event may explain
why Emma-Jean is into viewing things unemotionally and through logic -
she is still having problems dealing with her father's death and does so
largely through denial of emotion. But that is also not the major
focus of the story - the major focus is Emma-Jean's attempts to help
people, which get her into more and more trouble as she goes along. The
problems are realistic, the complications are believable and the
resolution is satisfying. The only thing that bothers me a bit is the
ease with which she forges a letter at the beginning of the story. It
doesn't seem quite in character.
Another side story
is the developing relationship between her mother and their boarder,
Vikram. Since Emma-Jean considers her father to have been the love of
her mother's life, this relationship is troubling, even though she likes
the man. The image in my mind of the resolution of this part of the
story is, for me, the most memorable part of the story. Emma-Jean and
her father used to sit together and read, wrapped in a favorite quilt.
Through long use, this quilt had become frayed around the edges. When
Vikram had to return to India after his mother had a heart attack, Emma
generously packed this quilt for him to comfort him on the long trip.
When he returned, his mother improved, and Emma-Jean reconciled to the
growing relationship between him and her mother, he brought back the
quilt, now with Indian sari fabric skillfully and beautifully integrated
around the edges of the quilt.
Enjoyable.
No comments:
Post a Comment