This Is Graceanne's Book: A Novel

by P.L. Whitney

The story is told by a nine-year old boy, Charlie, who observes with an encompassing awe a pivotal year in the life of his older sister Graceanne. She's loud, intellectual and a ruthless physical and psychological daredevil, a girl whose ferocious exploits are the stuff of local legend and the stuff of all that Charlie aspires to be. He narrates Graceanne's painful passage into teenage, a passage made tempestuous by their violent mother.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Abigail McKenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

frankly i'm just baffled as to why this exists

the only saving grace is that i finished it in a matter of hours so i didn't have to spend too much time with it

almost 300 pages of child abuse and profanity is just not my cup of tea, personally

[Alley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deep breath. I just finished this one and it was a wonderful example of stellar storytelling. A lot of times when I'm reading a novel I'll be aware of certain literary devices and am constantly conscious that I'm reading "a book" created by someone. With this one I was so enmeshed in the story and was constantly amazed at how very real and fleshed out the characters were, even the minor ones. So much happened in the book and at the same time so little happened. So much changed and again, so little changed.

The story centers around Charlemagne "Charlie" Farrand's love for his big sister Graceanne who writes stories about Martians and the Mississippi River and her hatred toward her abusive mother in her secret diary. Their older sister Kentucky is the family beauty possessing a voice like an angel and escapes the wrath of their mother, Edie Farrand. Charlie was born with a club foot and is the weak child and also escapes the abuse of Edie. That leaves Graceanne sandwiched in the middle and everything she does is a cause for a beating.

To make matters worse, the family is poor and the alcoholic father military father is absent save for a couple of drunken episodes before they divorce. Now before you think the book has gotten all Angela's Ashes, know that there are moments of beauty, grace and love that cast a wide prism of rainbow light over Graceanne, Charlie and their world. Set in the 1960's in a Cranepool's Landing, MO, the racial tensions, religion and politics play a part in the novel without turning the focus away from the central theme of the undying love of a brother for his sister.

Again, stellar storytelling. I loved this book!

[Rosanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. The story is a difficult one about the coming of age of a young girl as told by her younger brother. The children in this novel are charming, but their lives are made difficult by both poverty and a mother who is psychotically cruel. Most of the mother's wrath is directed at Graceanne who comes up with as many coping mechanisms as she can. Her most favored safe harbor is writing in a book she keeps hidden under the bed. I wish there had been some greater character development for the mother as she seemed to be exceptionally unbalanced. I would also have preferred a more definitive ending. I felt left with a less than satisfying conclusion.

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was really kind of a horrible book. There was no relief from the abuse inflicted upon the child in this book. I would not recommend it to anyone. Don't think I would read anything else this author would publish.

[Whitney Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poignant, raw, and emotional. As a child who was the 'Graceanne' in my family, I appreciate the representation of forced resilience that is within the narrative.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this was one of those books that I should have loved but for some reason that I can't put my finger on, I just didn't.

It has all the elements that I generally enjoy in a story, coming of age, overcoming abuse, emotional bonds between siblings/family members etc but it seemed as if the characters were a bit hollow.

I also hated the ending but unfortunately, I don't know if the ending of my particular book was actually the ending. I received this book second hand. It cut off at page 285 or so and it seemed like it was an ending of sorts, a horrible ending but an ending but now I'm questioning if there was actually more and there would have been some sort of resolution and I possibly could have enjoyed it more.

A worthwhile read but just didn't grab me and I didn't love it as much as I anticipated I probably would.

[Rayna Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a boy who looks up to his older sister Graceanne. Graceanne and her brother have an abusive mother. Graceanne is becoming a young woman and she is going through rough times in her life. Eddie is the mother and she is in poverty right now which is causing her to abuse Graceanne.This book will make you have so many different strong emotions towards the characters and the whole story. I didn't really like the mom she was always in a weird state of emotions and it just confused me. I recommend someone who likes heartfelt and drama in there story's to read this, it would be the perfect book for you.

[Jodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the sibling dynamics and the way the book is narrated by Graceanne, a young girl. The end made me cry.

[✿Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took a little bit for me to get into this book, but it ended up being a 3.5 star read for me and the very end of the book was 4 stars. The book is narrated by Charlie, the youngest and only brother of the three siblings, but focuses on Graceanne. She has the highest IQ in her school and is very strong-willed and determined at everything she does, which often gets her into trouble with her mother.

Unfortunately for Graceanne, I think she has too many qualities that her mother is envious of deep down. The Foreward of the book I started after this one stated that "Sometimes we meet a character and we fall so hopelessly in love with him or her that we want to be that character, no matter how tough they have it, no matter how they might mess things up." By the end of the story, I found myself wishing that I was as caring and tough as Graceanne.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would almost categorize this one as young adult but something (maybe the abuse?) is holding me back. I really enjoyed This Is Graceanne's Book and finished it quickly. Short chapters told from Graceanne's little brother's point of view during the span of about a year and a half in the 1960's. So much happened during that short little span of time---so much growing up, starting to understand both fairly and unfairly (White's Only) how the world works, realizing that something is not right and different about your family. Really enjoyed this one---unsatisfactory ending I have to say. I actually googled to see if some of the pages in my secondhand copy had been ripped out but otherwise a truly good read.

[Gerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely mixed feelings about this book.

The story centers on the two youngest siblings (one older sister is a secondary character) told from the perspective of the youngest child, Charlie.

It is a story of resiliency and survival/coping mechanisms in the face of poverty and abuse - most of the abuse is physical and is directed towards Graceanne, the middle daughter. It is a difficult read because the abuse is pervasive. But it also focuses on the inner strength that Graceanne, especially, draws upon to survive.

There are light moments, but each light moment has a cost, so they don't really lighten the story.

I also feel like the ending just fizzled out. Not a strong ending, not that it needed to wrap everything up in a bow, but it needed something more.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that this coming of age story features a female protagonist. I also love that the story is told through the perspective of her younger brother. The writing style is superb. You FEEL the story happening. There are laugh-out-loud episodes. At other times you find yourself drowning in heart wrenching tragedy. This fictional work feels very real to anyone raised in the early 1960s in middle America.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am always amazed how some authors are able to remember what it was like to be a child so accurately.

[Gracie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A country version of Mommie Dearest

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I ran across this book today, at first I couldn't remember reading it. However, when I read the review on the back of the book, I remembered the mood of the book and its main character. It is one of very few books I may want to read again. I think I first read it in 2007 since it was in a stack of books I read in 2007. Somehow I didn't get it entered on goodreads at that time.
I read this book again, finishing it the second time on 10/16/2015. I had forgotten many of the details of the book but did remember the general mood of the book. The author does an excellent job of describing places and also is very good at character development. The reader can see some good in the abusive mother and some not-so-good traits in the children, too. The characters, while not always admirable, were believable. I was surprised, though, that the main character did not mature as much during the book as I thought he would.

[Coutrney]

In This Is Graceanne’s Book Charlie Farrand is the younger brother of a strong-minded young girl name,Graceanne and narrates his perspective of his sister as she matures into teenagehood while enduring the constant beatings and abuse of her short-tempered mother. Charlie is a nine-year-old boy that is very bright, curious and observant. He lives in Cranepool Landing Missouri with his mother, Edie, and his two older sisters, Graceanne and Kentucky. In the story, Edie is described to be very violent and short tempered towards her kids, especially Graceanne. However, Graceanne is a strong-minded 12-year-old girl that withstands her mother’s abuse by writing a secret journal of manifestos. Observant Charlie befriends Graceanne as they move into a new town, meet new people and encounter lots of trouble with their mother. One night at dinner Graceanne slips up in her conversation and gives small details about her book! Charlie begins to worry, Will Edie find out about the book?

[Cindy Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this book. It's another coming of age story, along the lines of "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" and "Glass Castle". Poverty, abuse, racism, siblings loyal to each other out of a need to survive. Seen through the eyes of a ten-year old boy, Charlie, the fiery personality of his sister Graceanne is a source of fascination and a little envy. When sparks ignite between Graceanne and their flint-hearted mother, Graceanne escapes into her diary, written as imaginative fiction. Charlie inadvertently discovers the diary one day, which discovery actually opens the door to the siblings coming to an understanding of and a loyalty to each other over time, as they face life with their controlling and abusive mother. Written as snapshots of a few days at a time over a period of two years, you have the sense that not much changes, though a great deal happens. Tragic but beautiful.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is of the currently popular theme of coming to age books. I particularly liked this one because it is set in MO near where I grew up so some of the locations are familiar to me from childhood. I also appreciated the tension that was maintained throughout the book, a subtle sense of impending doom always in the background but never really delivered. It created a nice drive to keep the story moving without being maladramatic. The ending is also well done and avoids the prettying up that seems to occur in many of these style of books as though the author can't follow through on allowing the characters and reader to leave the story without happily resovling the tension.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a terrific novel! Reminiscent of A Prayer for Owen Meany without seeming derivative. Three kids, the youngest of whom, Charlemagne (or Charlie) is the narrator. No attempt at tidy closure and resolution, so if you need that, avoid this. Or, actually, get over it and read this book anyway!

Pity this author doesn't seem to have written anything else. Although maybe it's autobiographical and for reasons which become clear "PJ Whitney" wanted to remain anonymous.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the characters in this book - three siblings who pick and each other and push each other's buttons, but love each other fiercely! They were so very real! The mom is just as real, but really is not a very sympathetic character. A great story about the complexity of family relationships and the determination of one very strong little girl.

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moving story...I had a bit of trouble with the dialogue which sometimes read like an old comedy routine, but once I got used to the patter, I could begin to get to know the characters. I quickly fell in love with them.

[Jacki · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is disturbing and unless you enjoy reading about child abuse, I don't recommend it. The highlights of the book are unsettling. The ten-year old brother's narrative is fresh and innocent, but after so many pages, I found myself yawning.

[Carmen Rodrigues · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, moving, and haunting. So haunting that more than a decade after reading, I still think about this novel frequently. It's not an easy read, but that's because it's so heartbreakingly real. Highly recommend.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A coming of age story that prompted me to sit down with my grandmother and parents to ask a lot of questions...

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I do not deal well with abuse. It's not that I wish to deny that it happens, it just upsets me too much to hear or read about it. If you are like me, avoid this book!

[Ronnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but it distured me, too. Abuse on any level is unacceptable.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

TRY IT

[Duckyday · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though tough to continue at times, I enjoyed this book. I felt I really knew the three siblings, and could feel the weather as well as the fears, strengths, and yearnings of the characters.

[Paula from Reading Lark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has stayed with me for several years. . . it's hauntingly bittersweet, and feels like such an honest telling of how people survive what would break so many others.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book awhile ago but I have never forgotten Graceanne, a highly gifted child with spirit despite an abusive family.