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Letters in the Attic
Lizzy McMann, A feisty twelve-year-old, lives with her immature mother and Manny, her father (she thinks) in a fleabag Phoenix hotel. One night, Manny's sudden announcement that he wants a divorce forces mother and daughter to move to upstate New York to live with Lizzy's grandmother and grandfather—a mixed blessing. At school, Lizzy befriends, then falls in love with, Eva Singer, who is dyslexic, looks like Natalie Wood and lives right down the street. Like all girls her age, Lizzy has to deal with her first period, her first bra and her first boyfriend. But what scares her most is her love for Eva. She is also concerned with getting a new husband for Mama—especially after reading Mama's letters that she has found in the attic. Then Eva gets a boyfriend and Mama's life enters what seems to be a new crisis. . . . How Lizzy comes to grips with life's strange twists and turns makes fascinating reading for adults and young readers alike.
227 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
January 30, 2016
picture a Judy Blume book that's a bit darker and gayer. that's it that's the book
March 20, 2014
This is historical fiction set in the early 1960's and at the same time, a coming of age story for 12 year old Elizabeth (Lizzy) McMann.
Lizzy has spent most of her life looking after her mother. When Manny, who she thinks is her father, leaves them, Lizzy and her mother end up in a small town in New York State living with previously unknown grandparents. It is a mixed blessing. Her grampa is loving and supportive, but her grandma is filled with bitterness and bile.
Ridgewood, New York, is filled with new experiences for Lizzy. The onset of her first period is every girl/woman's worst nightmare. On the other hand, when she purchases her first bra, it impossible not to laugh. Her relationship with her best friend, Eva, who she falls in love with, is complicated and tumultuous. Lizzy discovers her mother's secret life and learns who her real father is. When her mother gets engaged to Lizzy's teacher, it seems like they might have a happy ending after all.
I enjoyed this book and there is much to recommend it. Lizzy is a strong character. She's smart, complex, and observant. The cast of supporting characters are multidimensional.
I have been looking for a novel with a lesbian character I can comfortably hand out to grades 4 and up. This book meets this need. It is a positive addition to our existing LGBT collection, but I wanted more from Lizzy. We've got compelling gay protagonists in Totally Joe by James Howe and Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle. These are characters who appeal to everyone and kids can see themselves being friends with. Unfortunately, I don't see Lizzy appealing to kids in the same way. Some of this might be because the story is historical fiction and I'm not sure kids will get and understand all the cultural references. Mostly I think it's because Lizzy just doesn't shine in the way those boys do. For great chunks of this book Lizzy felt like a ghost. Don't get me wrong, I liked her, I just couldn't come to care deeply for her in the way I did for Joe and Nate. So while I'm happy as can be to have Lizzy in our library, I don't think she will take off like those boys have.
I'm going to hand the book out to some of my readers and see what they think of her. I hope to have to eat my words.
This Review is from my blog at http://dickenslibrary.blogspot.ca/
Lizzy has spent most of her life looking after her mother. When Manny, who she thinks is her father, leaves them, Lizzy and her mother end up in a small town in New York State living with previously unknown grandparents. It is a mixed blessing. Her grampa is loving and supportive, but her grandma is filled with bitterness and bile.
Ridgewood, New York, is filled with new experiences for Lizzy. The onset of her first period is every girl/woman's worst nightmare. On the other hand, when she purchases her first bra, it impossible not to laugh. Her relationship with her best friend, Eva, who she falls in love with, is complicated and tumultuous. Lizzy discovers her mother's secret life and learns who her real father is. When her mother gets engaged to Lizzy's teacher, it seems like they might have a happy ending after all.
I enjoyed this book and there is much to recommend it. Lizzy is a strong character. She's smart, complex, and observant. The cast of supporting characters are multidimensional.
I have been looking for a novel with a lesbian character I can comfortably hand out to grades 4 and up. This book meets this need. It is a positive addition to our existing LGBT collection, but I wanted more from Lizzy. We've got compelling gay protagonists in Totally Joe by James Howe and Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle. These are characters who appeal to everyone and kids can see themselves being friends with. Unfortunately, I don't see Lizzy appealing to kids in the same way. Some of this might be because the story is historical fiction and I'm not sure kids will get and understand all the cultural references. Mostly I think it's because Lizzy just doesn't shine in the way those boys do. For great chunks of this book Lizzy felt like a ghost. Don't get me wrong, I liked her, I just couldn't come to care deeply for her in the way I did for Joe and Nate. So while I'm happy as can be to have Lizzy in our library, I don't think she will take off like those boys have.
I'm going to hand the book out to some of my readers and see what they think of her. I hope to have to eat my words.
This Review is from my blog at http://dickenslibrary.blogspot.ca/
February 26, 2015
Letters in the Attic was another quick read I found on Scribd. Lizzy McMann is secretly happy that her father wants to leave her mother. She never liked him anyways and besides, he rarely acknowledged her, unless he wanted something. But her mother wasn't taking it too well. They eventually decide to move out of Phoenix to upstate New York, where her grandparents resided. Lizzy didnt even know she had grandparents so she was looking forward to meeting them.
The stay at New York turns out to be completely different from what she imagined it to be. Lizzy's grandmother has been very hostile and wouldn't even look at her. She also took every opportunity to ridicule her daughter. Lizzy also ends up learning certain secrets about her mother that makes her initially excited and later very angry. Along the way, she ends up learning that she likes girls and that fact scares her, especially since everyone she knows considers that a very bad thing.
Letters in the Attic was a sweet read but I think younger readers may appreciate it more than I did. I wasn't super thrilled by how the characters evolved through the book. The mother was someone who never learned from her mistakes, and most characters aren't fleshed out too well. It bugged me a lot how every chapter started in the present and then flits back to something that happened a few days or weeks ago. I don't mind flashbacks generally, but this style of narration just seemed too distracting and tiring. Besides, I am not a fan of characters who live too often in the past. Other than these odd hiccups, this was a nice book. All Lizzie wants is a dream home, with parents that would form the perfect family portrait. But more importantly, she wants her mother to be happy and often ends up taking care of her mother.
The stay at New York turns out to be completely different from what she imagined it to be. Lizzy's grandmother has been very hostile and wouldn't even look at her. She also took every opportunity to ridicule her daughter. Lizzy also ends up learning certain secrets about her mother that makes her initially excited and later very angry. Along the way, she ends up learning that she likes girls and that fact scares her, especially since everyone she knows considers that a very bad thing.
Letters in the Attic was a sweet read but I think younger readers may appreciate it more than I did. I wasn't super thrilled by how the characters evolved through the book. The mother was someone who never learned from her mistakes, and most characters aren't fleshed out too well. It bugged me a lot how every chapter started in the present and then flits back to something that happened a few days or weeks ago. I don't mind flashbacks generally, but this style of narration just seemed too distracting and tiring. Besides, I am not a fan of characters who live too often in the past. Other than these odd hiccups, this was a nice book. All Lizzie wants is a dream home, with parents that would form the perfect family portrait. But more importantly, she wants her mother to be happy and often ends up taking care of her mother.
June 26, 2014
When 7th grader Lizzy McMann’s father announces he wants a divorce, leaving her and her mother both homeless and penniless, they are forced to move from Phoenix to upstate New York where are they taken in by Lizzy’s maternal grandparents. Once there, Lizzy becomes friends with and develops feelings for her 8th grade neighbor, the beautiful and dramatic Eva Singer.
A rich, layered story about growing up that depicts relationships, friendships, and developing self-knowledge in complex, poignant, hopeful terms.
A rich, layered story about growing up that depicts relationships, friendships, and developing self-knowledge in complex, poignant, hopeful terms.
November 28, 2012
This was a wonderful read! Lizzy is a great narrator, and Bonnie Shimko a masterful storyteller. This book takes a fresh look at the awkward age of adolescence, and I found myself fiercely invested in Lizzy's journey as she tries to balance the ache of new love with the pressures of fitting in, and the need to take care of her dependent mother. The characters are quirky, the issues are real, and Lizzy McMann shines through it all.
November 30, 2012
There’s no question to why Letters in the Attic was so well received when it was first published back in 2002. After recently reading the novel for the first time, I am shocked it took me this long to find out about it. I’m a huge fan of Young Adult novels and Letters in the Attic seemed to fit that mold and then some. Lizzy McMann is a great character and one easily relatable even from a male perspective. Props to Bonnie Shimko for a fantastic read.
May 31, 2017
Beautiful, sweet coming of age novel. I loved it so much that a part of me never wanted it to end.
January 6, 2014
Shimko's Letters in the Attic was a very good young adult read. The plot focuses very much on the constant changes and growing relationships in Elizabeth McMann's life as she moves from Arizona to upstate NY with her mother. From meeting her best friend Eva Singer, realizing that something is just a little different about herself when it comes to her sexual orientation, helping her mother readjust to life in her childhood home, Elizabeth's life has changed eventually for the better.
The book is a very easy read, and while there is a very steady plot thread through the book, the plot tends to jump around just a bit without very much character development, and very subtle character development when it is present. However, the book is very good for young people who may be going through a similar experience. The book lightly touches upon the topics of homophobia (in that it is present, and Elizabeth feels she cannot share her secret with anyone), suicide, anti-Semitism, sexual harassment and assault, and domestic abuse.
The book is a very easy read, and while there is a very steady plot thread through the book, the plot tends to jump around just a bit without very much character development, and very subtle character development when it is present. However, the book is very good for young people who may be going through a similar experience. The book lightly touches upon the topics of homophobia (in that it is present, and Elizabeth feels she cannot share her secret with anyone), suicide, anti-Semitism, sexual harassment and assault, and domestic abuse.
May 6, 2008
Reviewed by Marta Morrison for TeensReadToo.com
I really enjoyed reading LETTERS IN THE ATTIC, set in the early sixties.
Lizzy, the heroine, lives with her mom and dad in a Phoenix hotel. Her father comes in, a real sleezeball, and with his new girlfriend in tow, proceeds to tell her mother that he is divorcing her. He even has the gall to ask Vonnie, her mother, to apologize to his girlfriend because she isn't being nice.
Well, with no place to go home to, they head to upstate New York to Vonnie's parents' house. Lizzy meets her grandparents for the first time. Her grandfather is great, but her grandmother is verbally abusive.
There, Lizzy learns a lot about her mother's past through letters that are in the attic. She examines her sexuality and helps her mother to become the person that she is meant to be.
While reading this book I laughed, cried, and was hopeful for the characters. I really liked Lizzy and her family.
I really enjoyed reading LETTERS IN THE ATTIC, set in the early sixties.
Lizzy, the heroine, lives with her mom and dad in a Phoenix hotel. Her father comes in, a real sleezeball, and with his new girlfriend in tow, proceeds to tell her mother that he is divorcing her. He even has the gall to ask Vonnie, her mother, to apologize to his girlfriend because she isn't being nice.
Well, with no place to go home to, they head to upstate New York to Vonnie's parents' house. Lizzy meets her grandparents for the first time. Her grandfather is great, but her grandmother is verbally abusive.
There, Lizzy learns a lot about her mother's past through letters that are in the attic. She examines her sexuality and helps her mother to become the person that she is meant to be.
While reading this book I laughed, cried, and was hopeful for the characters. I really liked Lizzy and her family.
April 27, 2012
For me, classifying this as an LGBT novel is a bit of a stretch. The story line seems more focused on the mother, rather than the "coming-of-age" adolescent protagonist. Lizzy is only 12 in this novel and at the beginning does not understand her life. When she is forced to live with the "evil grandmother" and the loving grandfather, while her mother tries to figure out her life, Lizzie falls in love with her best friend.
The pacing of the novel is rather slow. This is a steady-paced novel, with no real climaxes. I believe the title is not truly relevant to the topic and theme of the novel. Primarily because the letters have nothing to do with Lizzie.
I'm not fond of this book. It's interesting to me that a front comment is from Ellen DeGeneres' mother.
The pacing of the novel is rather slow. This is a steady-paced novel, with no real climaxes. I believe the title is not truly relevant to the topic and theme of the novel. Primarily because the letters have nothing to do with Lizzie.
I'm not fond of this book. It's interesting to me that a front comment is from Ellen DeGeneres' mother.
August 4, 2012
This book was fine. It's a simple, nice story, and nothing really surprising happened. It was the voice and tone (as if an actual, smart seventh grader wrote it - but complete with the unevenness and unnecessary adjectives and metaphors that author would choose) that failed to draw me in. Especially compared with The Age of Miracles, which was told in the voice of a seventh grader grown up, looking back from an indeterminate future, and which I read concurrently with this, Letters in the Attic fared poorly.
November 18, 2015
I am so in love with this story. I won’t tell you that it’s a particularly hard read or that you’ll take away some great, life-changing message but the book has a feel good vibe that will make even the hardest cynic smile. First, let me say that the synopsis is misleading. If you’re looking for an LGBTQ novel where girl meets girl, falls in love, girl gets a boyfriend but then realizes that she is also in love with a girl… walk away. This is about a young girl maturing and coming to terms with her sexuality and her changing life. Be prepared to fall in love with the minor characters.
August 15, 2023
This was a definite don't judge a book by its cover read. While I must honestly admit I don't like the cover art (I don't think it reflects what is in the book even remotely)--the story itself is very well written. So well written, in fact, that I quickly developed an intense dislike of Lizzy's immature and flighty mother and her sour and sharp-tongued maternal grandmother. (It's a given every reader will loath Lizzy's mother's husband, Manny. He's a self-centered jerk.) Lizzy is totally believable as a 12 year old girl in a bad family situation trying to work things out. Four stars.
December 5, 2015
I gave this a higher rating than I actually felt about reading it, because I believe that had I read it when I was in the age bracket that the book is set for, I'd have enjoyed it much more; I probably would have given it five stars.
It's so important to have books for pre-teens just starting to have lesbian feelings. I'm thankful this book was written; I only wish it had been around when I was that age.
It's so important to have books for pre-teens just starting to have lesbian feelings. I'm thankful this book was written; I only wish it had been around when I was that age.
June 7, 2019
Nearly perfect.
"While I'm in the kitchen warming Peter's bottle, I think how Eva knows about me--that I love her in a way she could never love me back. I think how she knows, and she still wants to be my friend, and that makes her even more special in my heart--my heart that is so light and so full of happiness that I'm surprised I don't float straight up into the air."
"While I'm in the kitchen warming Peter's bottle, I think how Eva knows about me--that I love her in a way she could never love me back. I think how she knows, and she still wants to be my friend, and that makes her even more special in my heart--my heart that is so light and so full of happiness that I'm surprised I don't float straight up into the air."
November 13, 2008
I have to say this is another young adult novel I found and absolutely love. This book deals with a young character and her disfunctional family as well as sexual identity issues she faces. The story is both humorous and sad quite a good read!
November 12, 2009
The fact that the two reviews on this book's cover are by Emily Saliers and Betty DeGeneres really tells you far more about this book than I ever could. Mostly it was fine, I'm just not a fan of coming-of-age stories.
July 24, 2009
i thought this was really good. it tells about a thirteen year old about her family and finding out her real father is.
September 3, 2009
This book isn't terrible. But it's not terrific, either. It's well-written fluff.
August 10, 2012
Definitely think this should have been classed as YA fiction, but it was ok.
July 21, 2025
Couldn't get into it.
January 29, 2018
Letters in the Attic is truly a gem! Another one I must add to my personal library. Elizabeth McMann is a headstrong twelve year old unlike any other I've ever had the pleasure to know. Strong and hardened from her past but with still enough room in her heart for the future, she was sheltered and robbed of most childhood pleasures until she and her mother move to Ridgewood, New York to be with her grandparents. From there she's thrown into a tsunami of special and general luxury and just basic normalcy. She meets a girl that she has unfamiliar feelings for and though different plot points seem to pop up out of nowhere and jump around, it doesn't take away from the characters themselves and in its short pages it still gives space for character development and allows the reader to form our feelings and care for the characters. I also can't forget the poetic style of writing Bonnie has blessed this book with. I also love the strong hopeful feeling the story ends with and the open door for a sequel, perhaps..
Whether a sequel happens or not, it leaves empty pages in my heart for me to fill on how Elizabeth, Eva, and their families' story carries on.
Whether a sequel happens or not, it leaves empty pages in my heart for me to fill on how Elizabeth, Eva, and their families' story carries on.
July 8, 2021
It's the early 60s--Kennedy is president, Lizzy's father has left and she and Mama have moved in with her grandparents, and she has fallen in love with her best friend Eva. This book was a lot of things, but it didn't go deeply into any of them. Plots just sort of dipped in an out, including a suicide attempt, a father arrested for molesting tweens, women who don't know how to take care of themselves or others, boys all over girls without their permission, etc etc. I liked Lizzy, who was navigating this the best she could and having dreams of what her family could be, but I do have a hard time seeing a lot of kids really loving this.
July 10, 2024
Honestly, I picked this up at the library on a total whim but I sort of loved it. It’s super short, funny and meaningful. I love the voice of the main character, Lizzie is just so truthful and relatable. Especially with some of her inner comments to the absurd adults around her. By the end of the novel I was sad to see it end.
March 12, 2026
Nearly perfect.
"While I'm in the kitchen warming Peter's bottle, I think how Eva knows about me--that I love her in a way she could never love me back. I think how she knows, and she still wants to be my friend, and that makes her even more special in my heart--my heart that is so light and so full of happiness that I'm surprised I don't float straight up into the air."
"While I'm in the kitchen warming Peter's bottle, I think how Eva knows about me--that I love her in a way she could never love me back. I think how she knows, and she still wants to be my friend, and that makes her even more special in my heart--my heart that is so light and so full of happiness that I'm surprised I don't float straight up into the air."
September 6, 2022
3.5 stars
January 20, 2010
loved loved loved. loved.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews