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Sights
Baby Girl sees the future from the womb, and it's clear the Fifties hold more for her than Elvis Presley and life in a tumble-down trailer.
From the start, Baby Girl believes she's beautiful and special because her beautiful and special Momma tells her so. The two are close as crossed fingers—and it's a good thing, because Baby Girl's Sight never warns her what her treacherous father will do next. She and Momma must flee into the night. In the distant town of Cot, each contributes to the family fortune with her own gift—Momma at the sewing machine, Baby Girl predicting futures. In the peace of that summer, Baby Girl's confidence grows robust as her sturdy little figure.
It's quite a shock, that first day of high school, when the kids don't find her as adorable as Momma does. Her confidence shrinks down to the size of a Lifesaver until she finds ways to make her differences work for her. An accordion, a quirky new friendship, and a romance with the same boy her enemy-cheerleader is after, return Baby Girl to her feisty best.
But nothing can prepare her for the final nightmare—the one that can forever end her magical, hard-knock journey toward growing up.
From the start, Baby Girl believes she's beautiful and special because her beautiful and special Momma tells her so. The two are close as crossed fingers—and it's a good thing, because Baby Girl's Sight never warns her what her treacherous father will do next. She and Momma must flee into the night. In the distant town of Cot, each contributes to the family fortune with her own gift—Momma at the sewing machine, Baby Girl predicting futures. In the peace of that summer, Baby Girl's confidence grows robust as her sturdy little figure.
It's quite a shock, that first day of high school, when the kids don't find her as adorable as Momma does. Her confidence shrinks down to the size of a Lifesaver until she finds ways to make her differences work for her. An accordion, a quirky new friendship, and a romance with the same boy her enemy-cheerleader is after, return Baby Girl to her feisty best.
But nothing can prepare her for the final nightmare—the one that can forever end her magical, hard-knock journey toward growing up.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published March 13, 2001
38 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 16, 2023
Star and a half.
TW: Domestic violence culminating in repeated homicide attempts of an infant who grows into a toddler who is six when she finally gets away
Spoilers.
This was an incredibly simple read, and I flew through it. On first read, I was delighted. That was years ago. Now, I was just kinda, okay. I found it interesting that it was set in the...early sixties is my guess. It feels a lot like the fifties. The characters are super shallow and the action is barely there, but this is deliberate based off what the author -does- include and how it's done. This would be a good Reluctant Readers book. I liked the entitlement of everyone around Baby Girl about her powers once it comes to light what she can do. It would be so frustrating to go through that IRL, but it was well-placed here. The melodrama of high school is immediate here, but also the feeling of being in such a small town. Or so I imagine, as a city slicker.
The first half of the book is dedicated to the MC's sociopath of a father.
SPOILER: There are hints throughout the book of him still being around even after their former landlady claims he's dead. I wonder now if it was really her handwriting on the invitation, or she wrote it under duress or something. What a weird ending. Much earlier on in the book, it's indicated that the sociopath is dead. Only for a violent showdown to take place at the end of the book. Just let him be dead! No showdown needed. By rights, the book should have ended on the mother's wedding to her new boyfriend and the sappy sweet feelings of the MC. There was not.
I'm glad i got to read this again but I wouldn't really recommend this to anyone. I won't make an effort to seek out other works of the author. Just not for me.
TW: Domestic violence culminating in repeated homicide attempts of an infant who grows into a toddler who is six when she finally gets away
Spoilers.
This was an incredibly simple read, and I flew through it. On first read, I was delighted. That was years ago. Now, I was just kinda, okay. I found it interesting that it was set in the...early sixties is my guess. It feels a lot like the fifties. The characters are super shallow and the action is barely there, but this is deliberate based off what the author -does- include and how it's done. This would be a good Reluctant Readers book. I liked the entitlement of everyone around Baby Girl about her powers once it comes to light what she can do. It would be so frustrating to go through that IRL, but it was well-placed here. The melodrama of high school is immediate here, but also the feeling of being in such a small town. Or so I imagine, as a city slicker.
The first half of the book is dedicated to the MC's sociopath of a father.
SPOILER: There are hints throughout the book of him still being around even after their former landlady claims he's dead. I wonder now if it was really her handwriting on the invitation, or she wrote it under duress or something. What a weird ending. Much earlier on in the book, it's indicated that the sociopath is dead. Only for a violent showdown to take place at the end of the book. Just let him be dead! No showdown needed. By rights, the book should have ended on the mother's wedding to her new boyfriend and the sappy sweet feelings of the MC. There was not.
I'm glad i got to read this again but I wouldn't really recommend this to anyone. I won't make an effort to seek out other works of the author. Just not for me.
January 8, 2010
Another of the random 30 in 30. Set in the 50's, Bay Girl has the Sight, and a host of other issue that make her different from everyone else: murderous father, mulatto friend, dress-makin' mama, etc. Just something random I picked up, and well, its actually pretty good. Almost laugh-out-loud in some places, while being heart-breakingly sad in others. Definitely worh picking up.
June 26, 2008
Kind of strange, but in a good way. About accepting people,regardless of their oddities. Beacause everyone has their quirks.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews