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Everything Else in the Universe
In the midst of the Vietnam War, a young girl struggles to embrace change in this tender family story for fans of Cynthia Lord and Wendy Maas.
Lucy is a practical, orderly person--just like her dad. He taught her to appreciate reason and good sense, instilling in her the same values he learned at medical school. But when he's sent to Vietnam to serve as an Army doctor, Lucy and her mother are forced to move to San Jose, California, to be near their relatives--the Rossis--people known for their superstitions and all around quirky ways.
Lucy can't wait for life to go back to normal, so she's over the moon when she learns her father is coming home early. It doesn't even matter that he's coming back "different." That she can't ask too many questions or use the word "amputation." It just matters that he'll be home. But Lucy quickly realizes there's something very wrong when her mother sends her to spend the summer with the Rossis to give her father some space. Lucy's beside herself, but what's a twelve-year-old to do?
It's a curious boy named Milo, a mysterious packet of photographs and an eye-opening mission that makes Lucy see there's more to life than schedules and plans, and helps to heal her broken family. The latest from critically-acclaimed author Tracy Holczer is a pitch-perfect middle grade tale of family and friendship that's sure to delight fans of One for the Murphys and Rules.
Lucy is a practical, orderly person--just like her dad. He taught her to appreciate reason and good sense, instilling in her the same values he learned at medical school. But when he's sent to Vietnam to serve as an Army doctor, Lucy and her mother are forced to move to San Jose, California, to be near their relatives--the Rossis--people known for their superstitions and all around quirky ways.
Lucy can't wait for life to go back to normal, so she's over the moon when she learns her father is coming home early. It doesn't even matter that he's coming back "different." That she can't ask too many questions or use the word "amputation." It just matters that he'll be home. But Lucy quickly realizes there's something very wrong when her mother sends her to spend the summer with the Rossis to give her father some space. Lucy's beside herself, but what's a twelve-year-old to do?
It's a curious boy named Milo, a mysterious packet of photographs and an eye-opening mission that makes Lucy see there's more to life than schedules and plans, and helps to heal her broken family. The latest from critically-acclaimed author Tracy Holczer is a pitch-perfect middle grade tale of family and friendship that's sure to delight fans of One for the Murphys and Rules.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published June 12, 2018
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651 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
November 3, 2018
Five stars and five hankies.
Historical fiction about the Vietnam War and PTSD, but perfectly relevant for today. Not just the PTSD of the returning Veteran, but also of the family.
Delightfully rich in the details of life in a large extended Italian family.
Gorgeously written. A must-read.
Historical fiction about the Vietnam War and PTSD, but perfectly relevant for today. Not just the PTSD of the returning Veteran, but also of the family.
Delightfully rich in the details of life in a large extended Italian family.
Gorgeously written. A must-read.
November 24, 2018
Lucy has a crazy Italian extended family on one side, and a super rational stiff upper lip family on the other. Neither of them is doing a very good job of helping her deal with having her father serve in Vietnam--or having him come home changed in unforeseeable, unimaginable ways. To make matters worse, Lucy has moved from Chicago to California where her beloved older cousin Gina is traitorously protesting the war and she has no friends--until creative, quirky Milo comes along for the summer. He is also waiting for his father, a serviceman, come home from the war. Milo and Lucy dig up an old helmet and a Purple Heart and decide to look for its owner. In the process of the search, Lucy finds things she didn't know she was missing. A lovely, powerful book that brings the period to life.
September 4, 2018
A beautifully written story of family, war, and friendship.
"In place of her reasonable thoughts, she let her heart lead the way."(p.228)
"In place of her reasonable thoughts, she let her heart lead the way."(p.228)
December 16, 2018
A well written middle grade novel that deftly handled the Vietnam War, veterans, sacrificing for country, and family. No war is without casualties, both physical and psychological. Folks seemed to be particularly divided about Vietnam; some viewing the US's actions as immoral, others believing that citizens have an obligation to serve for their country. But the issue is not black and white, there are no easy answers. Author Tracy Holczer showcases characters who struggle with the effects of such a devastating war.
Highly relatable as well as educational, Everything Else in the Universe also offers up a highly palatable portrayal of one close knit Italian American family. Lucy, the central character, has a large, boisterous, very vocal Italian paternal side of her family. As the daughter of an Italian father myself, I relished the realistic glimpse of an Italian family never shy about expressing their opinions.
The book was engaging from beginning to end. The characters are fully fleshed and their reactions to situations believable. The story, though set in a particular time period, tackles timeless ethical questions.
Highly relatable as well as educational, Everything Else in the Universe also offers up a highly palatable portrayal of one close knit Italian American family. Lucy, the central character, has a large, boisterous, very vocal Italian paternal side of her family. As the daughter of an Italian father myself, I relished the realistic glimpse of an Italian family never shy about expressing their opinions.
The book was engaging from beginning to end. The characters are fully fleshed and their reactions to situations believable. The story, though set in a particular time period, tackles timeless ethical questions.
May 6, 2024
Rounded to 3.5. Overall an enjoyable read. I don’t have a huge interest in Vietnam war history but I still found it interesting. I found it very emotional at times. It was sad to see how a lot of ppl felt about Vietnam War soldiers and veterans. I wish there was a bit more about Lucy and Milo exploring the mystery of the Purple Heart, but I know that wasn’t the point of the story.
April 9, 2025
This book was outstanding!
The setting is San Jose, California, in the summer of 1971. Lucy’s father has kept the promise he made to her, so many months ago. He has returned home from the war in Vietnam, alive, unlike so many other soldiers numbered in the nightly count on the news. Now an amputee due to an arm injury, her Dad is having to adjust to this and to being home again. Lucy wants to help, but keeps getting told no by her father and the rest of the family each time she tries. She’s thankful her dad is alive, of course, but Lucy is desperate to get him back to the way he was before he left. Now he seems like a totally different person, and Lucy is truly afraid that this “new normal” will become permanent…
Oh, the nostalgic feels of this novel! It was set in a time when children spent their summers playing and wandering freely about until the sun set, or supper was ready (whichever happened first!) A time when family get-togethers were frequent and involved much food, (especially in Italian families.) The nightly news broadcasts on tv were also family times, but for a much sadder reason. The events of the Vietnam war were shown nationally, so loved ones always listened anxiously for updates…
Before I read this, I was aware that many Vietnam vets received harsh reception upon returning home.
I did not know that some WW2 veterans were the ones spewing hateful feelings and comments towards them, as Lucy and Milo experience at the American Legion and the VFW. This took me by surprise. It also made me wonder if my husband’s grandfather, a WW2 vet, had to endure listening to insults about his son, my FIL, when he returned to the states…
I highly recommend this beautifully written novel.
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg. 162)-“We went to the American Legion and the VFW for some help. There was a guy who got angry and said it was a dirty war and a bunch of other stuff about Vietnam veterans.” Grandpa’s face turned pink, then red. “You listen to me. Those boys over there have nothing to do with politics. They’re doing what they’re told. And they’re putting their lives on the line, just like I did. No different…Your dad is a hero. And don’t you let anyone tell you different.”
The setting is San Jose, California, in the summer of 1971. Lucy’s father has kept the promise he made to her, so many months ago. He has returned home from the war in Vietnam, alive, unlike so many other soldiers numbered in the nightly count on the news. Now an amputee due to an arm injury, her Dad is having to adjust to this and to being home again. Lucy wants to help, but keeps getting told no by her father and the rest of the family each time she tries. She’s thankful her dad is alive, of course, but Lucy is desperate to get him back to the way he was before he left. Now he seems like a totally different person, and Lucy is truly afraid that this “new normal” will become permanent…
Oh, the nostalgic feels of this novel! It was set in a time when children spent their summers playing and wandering freely about until the sun set, or supper was ready (whichever happened first!) A time when family get-togethers were frequent and involved much food, (especially in Italian families.) The nightly news broadcasts on tv were also family times, but for a much sadder reason. The events of the Vietnam war were shown nationally, so loved ones always listened anxiously for updates…
Before I read this, I was aware that many Vietnam vets received harsh reception upon returning home.
I did not know that some WW2 veterans were the ones spewing hateful feelings and comments towards them, as Lucy and Milo experience at the American Legion and the VFW. This took me by surprise. It also made me wonder if my husband’s grandfather, a WW2 vet, had to endure listening to insults about his son, my FIL, when he returned to the states…
I highly recommend this beautifully written novel.
Memorable Quotes:
(Pg. 162)-“We went to the American Legion and the VFW for some help. There was a guy who got angry and said it was a dirty war and a bunch of other stuff about Vietnam veterans.” Grandpa’s face turned pink, then red. “You listen to me. Those boys over there have nothing to do with politics. They’re doing what they’re told. And they’re putting their lives on the line, just like I did. No different…Your dad is a hero. And don’t you let anyone tell you different.”
December 29, 2018
Like most readers, I fell in love with Lucy Rossi, the twelve-year-old girl at the heart of this well-written middle grade novel. For those who didn't live through Vietnam or study about it in their history books, this book brings the war close to home. The summer of 1971 was just as confusing in some ways for youngsters as it was for the adults in their lives. As the nation continued to be mired in Vietnam, average citizens were taking sides, and even Gina, the protagonist's older cousin, was against the war. Lucy's spent the nine months of her father's service as an army doctor holding her breath while she waits for him to come home to San Jose, California where the rest of the family is waiting. To alleviate her anxiety about him and other matters, she clutches the various rocks he has sent to her and identifies what kind they are and what stage each one represents. She's surrounded by other members of the family--her large, rowdy, superstitious Italian family on her father's side, and her more reserved and rules-following grandparents on her mother's side. When her father returns home after having his arm amputated, Lucy is thrilled and ready to resume their partnership and activities. But her father is suffering from PTSD as well as finding it hard to compensate for his arm even with a prosthesis. Lucy finds some distraction and has her eyes opened when she and Milo, the grandson of a neighbor who is visiting the area for the summer, find a helmet, a Purple Heart, and photos in her back yard. They decide to solve the mystery of the owner of those objects. Their search takes them to various places where they meet individuals with different views on the war and on its returning soldiers. While Lucy is waiting for her father to open up to her, she also realizes that she herself has kept closed about the possibility of friendships at her new school after the family had moved from Chicago. She also learns that Milo's secret is one she never expected although I suspect readers will have some idea of what it is. I loved the passages about dragonflies and the back matter explaining how the draft operated, something that will really bring home the reality of this particular war for young readers. I love the ending of this book:
"While Dad had been gone, Lucy figured she'd been trapped in the metamorphic stage of things, feeling her heart harden from the pressure, transformed into something she didn't recognize. But really she'd just been getting tougher without knowing it. While Dad had been gone, she'd been turning igneous so that, eventually, she'd rise again, like Half Dome.
"Strong and true" (p. 252).
"While Dad had been gone, Lucy figured she'd been trapped in the metamorphic stage of things, feeling her heart harden from the pressure, transformed into something she didn't recognize. But really she'd just been getting tougher without knowing it. While Dad had been gone, she'd been turning igneous so that, eventually, she'd rise again, like Half Dome.
"Strong and true" (p. 252).
June 15, 2020
"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched
to everything else in the universe." - John Muir
Do you ever just grab a book you've never heard of before and it ends up being one of your favorite reads of the year? That is what Everything Else in the Universe was for me.
This book is set in the summer of 1971 and we follow Lucy, whose father was drafted into the Vietnam war. She is excited to learn that he is coming home, even though he is now missing an arm. This middle grade novel navigates the emotion and grief that comes with an expected future that is stolen from you. It also explores the dynamic emotions surrounding the Vietnam war in the United States during the late 1960s/early 1970s. It is a beautifully crafted book that will touch your heart and make you realize that we are all tied together in some way and can find some way to relate to everyone we encounter.
to everything else in the universe." - John Muir
Do you ever just grab a book you've never heard of before and it ends up being one of your favorite reads of the year? That is what Everything Else in the Universe was for me.
This book is set in the summer of 1971 and we follow Lucy, whose father was drafted into the Vietnam war. She is excited to learn that he is coming home, even though he is now missing an arm. This middle grade novel navigates the emotion and grief that comes with an expected future that is stolen from you. It also explores the dynamic emotions surrounding the Vietnam war in the United States during the late 1960s/early 1970s. It is a beautifully crafted book that will touch your heart and make you realize that we are all tied together in some way and can find some way to relate to everyone we encounter.
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January 16, 2018Fans of Gary Schmidt's Okay For Now will enjoy this Vietnam era middle reader. Lucy is an only child in an otherwise large, noisy Italian extended family. Lucy's surgeon father has just returned from a year in Vietnam - minus an arm. Lucy and her dad had been very close before the war and now things are different. Time, extended family, a special librarian and a new friend named Milo help Lucy and her family adjust to their changed circumstances. This is a tender coming-of-age story to be published in June 2018.
July 8, 2020
This was a sad book about Lucy, whose father has just returned from Vietnam. She was so happy when he returned, but her father is distance and not much fun to be around. Lucy has a large extended family and there are some strange characters in her family. Lucy's mother has very proper parents and the contrast between the two families was interesting. Lucy meets Milo, who is visiting him grandma over the summer. They become fast friends and solve a mystery after they dig up a helmet and a Purple Heart. It was a great book and lots of history is shared about the Vietnam War.
June 19, 2019
Adult rating: 3 stars
Kid rating: 1 star
Lucy and her father had a great relationship before he went to Vietnam. Even though he was always busy with medical school, they took advantage of every free moment he had. Now he is back from Vietnam, alive, but missing one arm. Like most returning vets, he is not the same. Lucy must accept that her dad has changed. She and her friend, Milo, learn a lot about the challenges faced by returning Vietnam veterans when they go in search of the solider who buried his helmet and purple heart medal near her house.
This was a slow read for me. I couldn't connect with the story. The synopsis sounds good, but in actuality there isn't enough to sustain the plot, so the author added a lot of boring family scenes that added no value. All the kids I know who have any interest in Vietnam are boys who want to read about the war itself. I have no audience for a book about a girl dealing with the challenges veterans faced after the war.
Kid rating: 1 star
Lucy and her father had a great relationship before he went to Vietnam. Even though he was always busy with medical school, they took advantage of every free moment he had. Now he is back from Vietnam, alive, but missing one arm. Like most returning vets, he is not the same. Lucy must accept that her dad has changed. She and her friend, Milo, learn a lot about the challenges faced by returning Vietnam veterans when they go in search of the solider who buried his helmet and purple heart medal near her house.
This was a slow read for me. I couldn't connect with the story. The synopsis sounds good, but in actuality there isn't enough to sustain the plot, so the author added a lot of boring family scenes that added no value. All the kids I know who have any interest in Vietnam are boys who want to read about the war itself. I have no audience for a book about a girl dealing with the challenges veterans faced after the war.
February 28, 2018
This book was shared through my ARC group, #bookexpedition . Set during the Vietnam War era, it chronicles the life of Lucy who is working to rebuild her relationship with her Dad, who has returned home from the war as a changed man, both physically and mentally. Lucy’s got her Dad’s large, eccentric, superstitious Italian family to contend with as well as a neighbor kid named Milo whose dad is still in Vietnam. Upon digging in her backyard one day, Lucy and Milo uncover a mystery when they discover artifacts from a soldier buried in her garden.
I loved Lucy’s voice and her loud, loving Italian family. There were also many passages I adored that allowed me to see the beauty in everyday natural things, like dragonflies and the night sky.
Highly recommend for middle grade readers!
I loved Lucy’s voice and her loud, loving Italian family. There were also many passages I adored that allowed me to see the beauty in everyday natural things, like dragonflies and the night sky.
Highly recommend for middle grade readers!
December 27, 2017
Wow! I loved The Secret Hum of A Daisy and this one was just as wonderful. Tracy has a way with words and telling the most beautiful story! Lucy and her crazy Italian family will remain in my heart for quite sometime. Look for this amazing story in June of 2028!!!
June 28, 2024
Everything Else in the Universe by Tracy Holczer is a touching middle-grade historical fiction novel set during the Vietnam War Era; however, this moving story does not focus on the Vietnam War. Instead, it centers on the impact the Vietnam War had on American soldiers, their families, and their community. Twelve-year-old Lucy Rossi could not be more excited that her father is returning early from Vietnam where he was serving as an Army doctor. Lucy realizes rather quickly that her father's return home as an amputee is not going to be easy, and she is not prepared for the unsettling changes affecting her family dynamics. Fortunately for Lucy, she meets Milo, and the two of them become friends. They embark on an adventure to uncover a mystery surrounding a packet of photographs, and Lucy learns some valuable lessons along the way about family and friendship.
Tracy Holczer has written a beautiful story about family, friendship, and loss while gently introducing middle-grade readers to some serious issues that American soldiers and their families endured in the aftermath of a soldier's service in the Vietnam War. While Lucy is the narrator of the story, different perspectives of the other characters are captured well through her eyes and interactions with them. Lucy is delightful, and Milo is precious! Their friendship is awesome. I love that through their friendship they find solace while solving the mystery and dealing with their personal struggles as both of their lives have been negatively impacted by the Vietnam War.
I cried quite a few times while reading Everything Else in the Universe. It is sad to think about how many of our American soldiers were treated poorly upon their return to the United States after serving their country. Many of them were young and drafted right after their 18th birthday. It is also sad to think about the families and children who were left behind filled with worry and fear that their soldier might not return alive or might return physically or mentally scarred if they did make it back home. Lucy experiences all these situations and more with her mom, extended family, and Milo. Despite being a heartrending story, I think it has plenty of heartwarming and humorous moments that left me hopeful and happy for Lucy and Milo by the end of the novel. This book was my first to read by Tracy Holczer, but I hope it won't be my last.
Tracy Holczer has written a beautiful story about family, friendship, and loss while gently introducing middle-grade readers to some serious issues that American soldiers and their families endured in the aftermath of a soldier's service in the Vietnam War. While Lucy is the narrator of the story, different perspectives of the other characters are captured well through her eyes and interactions with them. Lucy is delightful, and Milo is precious! Their friendship is awesome. I love that through their friendship they find solace while solving the mystery and dealing with their personal struggles as both of their lives have been negatively impacted by the Vietnam War.
I cried quite a few times while reading Everything Else in the Universe. It is sad to think about how many of our American soldiers were treated poorly upon their return to the United States after serving their country. Many of them were young and drafted right after their 18th birthday. It is also sad to think about the families and children who were left behind filled with worry and fear that their soldier might not return alive or might return physically or mentally scarred if they did make it back home. Lucy experiences all these situations and more with her mom, extended family, and Milo. Despite being a heartrending story, I think it has plenty of heartwarming and humorous moments that left me hopeful and happy for Lucy and Milo by the end of the novel. This book was my first to read by Tracy Holczer, but I hope it won't be my last.
September 24, 2020
I’ve had this book in my TBR stack for a while now, a signed copy from a literacy conference last summer. And now that I know how much this book has impacted my heart, I am so disappointed that I did not meet her AFTER reading the book so I could tell her so. This book introduces readers to Lucy and Milo, two pre-teenagers who didn’t realize how much they desperately needed each other’s friendship. Filled with lessons about the meaning of family, tested parental bonds, the pain of war and the difficulties in figuring out the kind of person you want to become, this book may have been set in history, but is incredibly relevant to readers today. You’ll find yourself rooting for Lucy as she fights against her anxieties and for her self-proclaimed homeostasis, grieving with Lucy’s father as he heals from losing his arm in the Vietnam war, feeling for Milo as his own family deals with a difficult situation and thankful for extended family, however eccentric they may be, for the support they provide. I simply loved this book.
May 17, 2024
Enrapturing, emotional & engulfing- this was a historical fiction I just couldn't put down! Lucy and her extended Italian family comprising of her witch aunts with their old folk beliefs and practices are a loud cheerful & colorful family celebrating the return of Lucy's father who lost an arm in the Vietnam War where he served as a doctor. As a trained Heart Surgeon who no longer will be able to operate - Lucy's father is undergoing his own bout of depression-physically, mentally, emotionally & professionally and adjusting to a lost limb in life while his lovely supporting wife- Lucy's mother takes up a new job to give her husband the space he requires to heal .Lucy is sent away against her will to spend time with her uncle's family and she unexpectedly befriends a boy interested in planting dragonfly gardens and sketching. Both stumble upon a buried treasure of a WWII veteran's helmet with family photographs and a purple heart .Setting out on a quest to find this family and to return this precious war veteran helmet & the purple heart - leads both of them to embark on their own respective journeys of self resilience, self acceptance , growing up amongst losses and injuries and the essence of the inherent strength and healing power of families when they come together. All admist a mini garden for dragonflies by the water creek.
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October 14, 2018Why, oh why did it take me so long to get to this lovely, heartbreaking story? I adored the author's debut, The Secret Hum of a Daisy. Beautiful story of family, of friendship and the fallout of the Vietnam war on family and returning vets. Must read!
August 30, 2021
Every single thing about the Vietnam war is just....absolutely heartbreaking. This was a great look into life during that era with poignant things to say about family and friends and taking care of each other even when that doesn't look like you imagined it would. Perfect for fans of The Wednesday Wars.
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March 17, 2018SLJ review
March 31, 2020
I really liked this book it was sad but it was so inspirational I really recommend this book.
January 13, 2023
Sweet and engaging, but with many fatal flaws. Repetitive platitudes and underdeveloped characters undermined the book, but overall it was decent. It just didn’t quite hit any of the targets; it always fell flat. It never went very deep into what it brought up and felt exceedingly shallow because of this. The guiding features of the plot (Lucy’s father and the mystery veteran) weren’t shown enough and thus did not feel important. It all felt like random bits of the author’s family mashed together with history to make one weird, formless “story”. There was just not enough emotion invested in it. One significant thing is that it was told in the third person and yet dealt almost entirely with Lucy’s thoughts and emotions. First person would have been an infinitely better choice, as it would make it clearer that the book is not actually about the Vietnam War, but about Lucy. Instead, it just felt like a constant let-down. Not quite a waste of time, but there are countless other books that would be far better for a youth to read. I suppose I’d recommend it, though.
November 15, 2018
This book is terrible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 23, 2018
Lucy Rossi, age twelve, and her mother move to San Jose, California to be close to the Rossi family when Lucy's dad accepts his draft notice to Viet Nam, when he could have asked for a deferment because he recently finished his residency to be a heart surgeon. Thus, Lucy is accustomed to being on a tight schedule and she continues this trait when her dad is serving in Viet Nam. Now, he's home again. But he's missing an arm and soon the family learns he's also a different person who needs space.
Lucy now has to go next door to her relatives' home and meets Milo who's visiting his grandmother. Together they find a Purple heart, soldier's helmet, and family photos and plan a mission to reunite the items with the owner. In the process, Lucy ponders whether her father will reunite with them again.
I loved how Lucy followed her little rituals to remind her of her father. Her rituals were very much like the old rituals her Italian Rossi family followed that comforted Lucy, even when she thought them to be odd at times.
My own cousin returned from Viet Nam totally changed in body and mind and so I can appreciate Lucy's feelings.
Lucy now has to go next door to her relatives' home and meets Milo who's visiting his grandmother. Together they find a Purple heart, soldier's helmet, and family photos and plan a mission to reunite the items with the owner. In the process, Lucy ponders whether her father will reunite with them again.
I loved how Lucy followed her little rituals to remind her of her father. Her rituals were very much like the old rituals her Italian Rossi family followed that comforted Lucy, even when she thought them to be odd at times.
My own cousin returned from Viet Nam totally changed in body and mind and so I can appreciate Lucy's feelings.
July 25, 2018
Engaging, interesting view of the Vietnam era. Unique voice.
February 28, 2019
This book is a very boring book because it has very flat and unpalatable characters. In Everything Else In The Universe Lucy's father comes home from the Vietnam War and is having some physical and mental problems. She meets a kid named Milo who helps her fight through the tough times. This book has no good qualities except maybe teaching people about how bad war is. There is no plot at all because it is a random sequence of events that makes no sense at all. I would not recommend this book for young kids because it is boring and is not appropriate for them, but I would recommend this for an adult because it teaches you lessons that you need to know about the world.
April 15, 2021
I think this book was really boring, sure Lucy's dad gets his arm blown off and her family has to deal with that and the fact that she is in a new school and other members of her crazy family might go to war too, but there was not any main events just little spurts of energy that sort of fizzled out.
August 27, 2023
ARC provided by publisher at ALA Midwinter
Lucy's family has moved from Chicago to San Jose, California for her father's medical residency and to be near family. When doctors are drafted for Vietnam, he chooses not to be deferred so that he can do his part. He promises Lucy that he will return, and he does, but he has lost an arm in an explosion in the operating room. The family is just glad to have him back, and he has a prosthetic arm, but he's still having trouble transitioning. There are lots of other things going on in Lucy's life even though it is summer. Her mother has gotten a job, and has Lucy go over to her aunt and uncle's every day. There, she must deal with her cousin Gia, who is protesting the war, and her cousin Josh, who is eligible for the next draft. She also meets a new boy in the neighborhood, Milo, who is very interested in dragonflies and other insects. When the two find a helmet, a purple heart, and a family photo buried near their homes, they try to find out to whom they belong and run into problems at the local veteran's club. There are family activities and barbecues, but nothing is the same as it was before, and despite Lucy's best efforts, she cannot make life return to the way it was by herself.
Strengths: The story line with the father's acclimation to civilian life and life as an amputee after serving in Vietnam is one I have been waiting for, especially after reading Partridge's Boots on the Ground and O'Connor's Until Tomorrow, Mr. Marsworth. The large Italian family is portrayed with fondness and good attention to detail. Because this is set in California, there is a lot of tension about the war, and including Gia's philosophical predicament is a nice touch. There are a decent amount of historical details-- Grandma Miller is delightful in the way she turns herself out! The family relationships and emotions are also well done. Everyone is supportive but unsure of how to properly proceed at some times.
Weaknesses: There is a lot going on in the book, and some of my readers would struggle keeping everything straight. I wish that there had been more description of Lucy's interactions with her father, but he plays a much smaller part in the story than I had expected. I would have rather heard more about him and less about the mystery of the helmet and Milo's insects.
What I really think: I will purchase this one for our 1960s unit, but am not sure it will have as wide of an appeal as it would have had if the story had concentrated more on the father's experiences.
Lucy's family has moved from Chicago to San Jose, California for her father's medical residency and to be near family. When doctors are drafted for Vietnam, he chooses not to be deferred so that he can do his part. He promises Lucy that he will return, and he does, but he has lost an arm in an explosion in the operating room. The family is just glad to have him back, and he has a prosthetic arm, but he's still having trouble transitioning. There are lots of other things going on in Lucy's life even though it is summer. Her mother has gotten a job, and has Lucy go over to her aunt and uncle's every day. There, she must deal with her cousin Gia, who is protesting the war, and her cousin Josh, who is eligible for the next draft. She also meets a new boy in the neighborhood, Milo, who is very interested in dragonflies and other insects. When the two find a helmet, a purple heart, and a family photo buried near their homes, they try to find out to whom they belong and run into problems at the local veteran's club. There are family activities and barbecues, but nothing is the same as it was before, and despite Lucy's best efforts, she cannot make life return to the way it was by herself.
Strengths: The story line with the father's acclimation to civilian life and life as an amputee after serving in Vietnam is one I have been waiting for, especially after reading Partridge's Boots on the Ground and O'Connor's Until Tomorrow, Mr. Marsworth. The large Italian family is portrayed with fondness and good attention to detail. Because this is set in California, there is a lot of tension about the war, and including Gia's philosophical predicament is a nice touch. There are a decent amount of historical details-- Grandma Miller is delightful in the way she turns herself out! The family relationships and emotions are also well done. Everyone is supportive but unsure of how to properly proceed at some times.
Weaknesses: There is a lot going on in the book, and some of my readers would struggle keeping everything straight. I wish that there had been more description of Lucy's interactions with her father, but he plays a much smaller part in the story than I had expected. I would have rather heard more about him and less about the mystery of the helmet and Milo's insects.
What I really think: I will purchase this one for our 1960s unit, but am not sure it will have as wide of an appeal as it would have had if the story had concentrated more on the father's experiences.
August 7, 2018
Thoughtful, logical Lucy finds herself thrust into her emotionally raucous Italian family when her dad ships out for Vietnam in 1971. During his absence, she and her mom adapt to living with herb packets, chicken claws showing up in odd places, and her Nonnina's pink kitchen. Well, mostly. Now that Dad is returning, though, everything will go back to the way it was before--the highly organized life of a doctor in training and his family. But soldiers returning from war are never the same. And the world they come home to isn't either. As Lucy deals with one emotional slam after another, her creative coping skills such as a Homeostasis Extravaganza make her relatable and also admirable. What she wants is to be brave and reasonable, but it might be time to add expressive to that list. With a new friend, a deepening appreciation for her huggy Italian family, and a vet family to track down, Lucy is learning to trust her heart. My two cents: Loved it! In a nuanced weaving of history, closely observed characters, and poetic language, this author captures the both the discriminating mind and the open heart of her reader. Recommended!
October 17, 2020
A serendipitous read
I read this for a book circle, and I had never heard of it before, but I was so pleasantly surprised at how much I love the book. This middle age book is set in the Vietnam era in San Jose, and follows Lucy, a pre-teen dealing with change after her dad returns home a wounded veteran. (It made me think of my Papaw, who also grew up in San Jose, lost an arm in Vietnam and experienced many of the negative things mentioned in the book that soldiers experienced upon returning home. I miss him.) The book is filled with poetic insights by Lucy, and I really enjoyed witnessing Lucy’s transformation throughout the book. The friendship between her and Milo was so sweet, and them finding each other just when they most needed a friend was a lovely example of the serendipity that Lucy’s uncle tells her about. At times heartbreaking, this novel is always beautiful.
I read this for a book circle, and I had never heard of it before, but I was so pleasantly surprised at how much I love the book. This middle age book is set in the Vietnam era in San Jose, and follows Lucy, a pre-teen dealing with change after her dad returns home a wounded veteran. (It made me think of my Papaw, who also grew up in San Jose, lost an arm in Vietnam and experienced many of the negative things mentioned in the book that soldiers experienced upon returning home. I miss him.) The book is filled with poetic insights by Lucy, and I really enjoyed witnessing Lucy’s transformation throughout the book. The friendship between her and Milo was so sweet, and them finding each other just when they most needed a friend was a lovely example of the serendipity that Lucy’s uncle tells her about. At times heartbreaking, this novel is always beautiful.
September 2, 2018
I loved this story set during the Vietnam War, its impacts on families, and the aftermath of soldiers returning to a sometimes hostile America. And in ten year old Lucia Mercedes Evangeline Rossi the author has given us a smart, thoughtful, funny, and lively heroine to follow as she adjusts to her surgeon father's homecoming from the war, the loss of his arm which has profound repercussions on him and the family, and the new life they make in San Jose near to his unruly and extended Italian family. Lucy's growing friendship with Milo, a gifted artist who has his own connection to the war and carries a burdensome secret, her own attempts to keep her world and family safe and to return it to "normal", and her growing understanding of how her own actions affect the people around her anchor this remarkable book. A fabulous and satisfying read.
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