The Cloud Chamber

by Joyce Maynard

The minute the school bus carrying Nate Chance and his little sister, Junie, pulls up in front of his family's farmhouse, Nate can tell something's terribly wrong: Somehow his father has been wounded by a gunshot. Nate sees him stagger across the yard, then watches as the police take him away.

Then, nothing. Nobody in the family will say what happened, or where Nate's dad has gone. At school, his best friend, Larry, won't talk to him, and kids whisper that his dad's a "psycho." Back home, police keep showing up with questions for his mom; and then there's Junie, worried that Mom will sell her beloved pony and counting on her big brother to figure out a way to reach their dad.

But the science fair is coming up, and Nate has a plan. If he can just win first prize with his amazing cloud chamber project, he'll get to go to the state finals, near the hospital where his dad's been locked away. And since it was his dad who taught him to love science--and the stars--it seems like maybe the magic of the cloud chamber can bring the family together again, too.

Too bad he has to work on it with the weirdest, most unpopular girl in school, Naomi, with her goofy hair and nutty idea that the two of them should be best friends. The craziest part is, she just might be right.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Audiobook, Mental Health, Family, Coming Of Age

288 pages, Hardcover

First published May 31, 2005

About the author

Joyce Maynard first came to national attention with the publication of her New York Times cover story “An Eighteen-Year-Old Looks Back on Life” in 1973, when she was a freshman at Yale. Since then, she has been a reporter and columnist for The New York Times, a syndicated newspaper columnist whose “Domestic Affairs” column appeared in more than fifty papers nationwide, a regular contributor to NPR. Her writing has also been published in national magazines, including O, The Oprah Magazine; Newsweek; The New York Times Magazine; Forbes; Salon; San Francisco Magazine, USA Weekly; and many more. She has appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, CNN, Hardball with Chris Matthews, Charlie Rose, and on Fresh Air. Essays of hers appear in numerous collections. She has been a fellow at Yaddo, UCross, and The MacDowell Colony, where she wrote her most recently published novel, Labor Day.

The author of many books of fiction and nonfiction, including the novel To Die For (in which she also plays the role of Nicole Kidman’s attorney) and the bestselling memoir, At Home in the World, Maynard makes her home in Mill Valley, California. Her novel, The Usual Rules—a story about surviving loss—has been a favorite of book club audiences of all ages, and was chosen by the American Library Association as one of the ten best books for young readers for 2003.

Joyce Maynard also runs the Lake Atitlan Writing Workshop in Guatemala, founded in 2002.

Reviews

[Ilsa Bick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read this four times now, and the more I do, the better I like it. Principally, what Maynard does beautifully is that she creates a completely believable conclusion that isn't at all happily-ever-after. Yet Nate really grows here, and in that sense, this is a true coming-of-age novel where reality trumps wish-fulfillment but fails to crush hope. Highly recommended.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of those heavy, bittersweet books that spare no quarter for young readers by giving them happy coincidences or the expected triumph, and which I sense I may not have enjoyed as a young reader, but nevertheless found very satisfying as an adult. Nate is an extremely memorable character, and the rural/farm setting and time period of the 1960s came to life so incredibly well it felt like I was there.

[Laurel-Rain · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a small Montana town called Lonetree, the Chance family struggles against all the adversities that often fall upon farmers, especially those, like Carl Chance, who do not really have the talent for it. Unlike most farmers, Carl Chance is a dreamer. He has taught his son Nate, who is fourteen, what it means to explore the outer limits of the world in which they live for the magic that escapes him in his own small corner of the universe.

But one day, something tragic and unexpected happens. Getting off the school bus, Nate and his seven-year-old sister Junie are confronted by the sight of their father, bloodied, being led to an ambulance. When he disappears with the paramedics, it's almost as if he has completely disappeared from the earth. For weeks and then months, the family is plagued by officers descending and asking interminable questions. They even suspect the mother of firing the shot—for the children learn, finally, what felled their father. Even though he appears to have survived the injury, the mystery of what happens to him next hangs over the family like a shroud.

School children snub and even bully Nate and Junie, who soon become outcasts. But Nate is determined to complete his science fair project, which he believes will somehow save his family. The Cloud Chamber he plans to build was inspired by things his father taught him. It will be his father's redemption, wherever he may be.

Naomi, another outcast, becomes Nate's partner in the project, and as they work together, a bond grows between them.

Nate's journey toward his goal is persistent, with its overtones of hope for the future. We see him single-mindedly planning how this particular project will open up the world for his family and restore what has been lost.

One of the greatest clouds that cloaks the family during this dark time is the secrecy that puts a distance between the family members and allows the pain and torment to continue unabated.

In many ways, the Cloud Chamber symbolizes the despair and grief that encompass Nate and his family. I like this quote near the end of the book: "He (Nate) imagined how it would be if grief were something visible, like cosmic rays. He imagined what the airspace around their kitchen table would have looked like, these last months, if there had been a light to shine on it or some chemical compound to pour onto the linoleum that made it so they could see all the things they had been feeling."

"The Cloud Chamber" is a wonderful story of the ties that bind and then come undone due to tragedy and loss. Categorized as YA fiction, this story is one that young and old can enjoy and relate to, especially the portions that reveal the chasm that yawns between family members when silence rules the day.

Definitely five stars and highly recommended.

[Apzmarshl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast read. Good for tweens on up. It was a good solid story, I just didn't fall in love with it.

Times were tough in 1966 on the Chance farm. A freak storm ruins their crops and Nate's free spirited, dreamer father can't take any more. One day Nate returns from school to find the police dragging his bloody father from the fields.
Nate's dad tried to kill hinself. The police think Nate's mother may have been the one to really pull the trigger because the gun is still missing. Nate and his little sister are ostricized at school. The farm must be auctioned.

Nate is paired up with Naomi, another misfit at school. They decide to make a cloud chamber for their science fair project. This is something that Nate's dad had always wanted to do. (It was a great project!! I want to make one!)

The story is a solid telling of how when your world ends, you can still find a way to go on.

[AGastolek · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Nate Chance, a fourteen year old boy who lives on a farm in Montana. His family goes through very difficult times. The failing crops and the financial debt lead to this family disaster. Nate’s father attempts a suicide and is taken to a mental hospital. Having no options, the mother decides to sell the farm. In the middle of turmoil, Nate is searching for answers about family values and choices in life. He tries to be a normal teenager and a good role model to his little sister Junie. Both children miss their father terribly. To keep himself occupied, Nate concentrates on building a cloud chamber for his science fair project. This was his father’s dream to explore cosmic radiation and the memories ignite Nate’s motivation. With the help of a new friend, Nate rediscovers his abilities as a young scientist and a starting pitcher on his baseball team. There is one thing left, if he could only see and talk to his father.

I listened to this book on CDs and found Nate’s story captivating. The author, Joyce Maynard does a marvelous job describing the emotions and situations. The voice of the narrator, Joel Johnstone, and his delivery complemented the story. The Cloud Chamber is well written and accurately portrays the life of teenagers facing difficult times in life. I enjoyed listening to this book and believe that middle school readers can find it also interesting.

[Skyler Blackwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Cloud Chamber by Joyce Maynard is a sad yet hopeful book. The hopeful main character, Nate, feels alone in a house where no one seems to care anymore. His sister, Junie, is also a hopeful character who is trying to appear nonchalant but is secretly wishing for a normal life. Their father is very sick and Nate thinks his only way to get his father to come home is to build the cloud chamber. Although the Chance Farm has little of hope of pulling through, Nate succeeds in his endeavors and finally sees a faint flash of light in the project he has labored so hard on; a faint glimmer of hope. All in all, this was a good story about overcoming tragedy.

[Lela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laurel Rain's review hits the nail on the head! It gets in your mind and won't leave -- especially if you have any history with suicide or attempted suicide!

[Crissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book.

[Kathy Villa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of real life lessons in this book!

[Beth Peninger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nate Chance arrives home from school one afternoon to police escorting his bloody and dazed father away. Not only did Nate see this happen, but the entire busload of schoolmates did as well. In that instant, Nate's whole world shifts. His father tried and failed to end his life, and now the town thinks the Chance family is crazy. Overnight, Nate becomes an outcast at school; even his best friend, Larry, will no longer speak to him. The first-ever science fair is happening, and Nate's excitement for it is dampened by his new status. He gets paired with another outcast, Naomi, for the project, and together, the two outcasts form a partnership and a friendship as Nate navigates his reorganized life. As time passes, the reader learns the backstory of Nate's dad and what led to the events of the day that he abandoned the family, as Nate's mom put it.

This was an interesting look at the views on mental health in the late 1960s. While many of the reviews I read felt Nate's dad was just a dreamer, I read more that he was bipolar. What did Maynard mean by the character of Carl Chance—a dreamer or bipolar? In truth, he could be both. It's so interesting how people want fiction books to end on a "happily ever after" note, and when they don't - as this one didn't, they knock about their review/rating of the story. I didn't mind the lack of "happily ever after" and the ambiguous ending. This isn't a book I will keep thinking about much beyond posting this review, but I'm glad to have read it. I am rather keen on Maynard's writing.

[jimtown · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cloud Chamber is by one of my very favorite authors, Joyce Maynard. It's categorized as a book for young readers. It may be a little intense for some but it's the type of book that would have reinforced my love of reading if I'd read it as a child.

The subject is very adult though, so adult that the family in the book would not tell Nate or his sister Junie what had happened to their dad. After that day, life at their house and on their farm continued its downward spiral.

The parts of the book that are good for children is to learn that even if you make a mistake, you can own up to it, or move on from it. You can learn to ignore people who are unkind. You find out who your real friends are and which people matter.

It's very well written, a keeper.

[Ellen Learned · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely book. I loved the characters, the real people and their challenges. The main character, his sweet sister, his wonderful redhaired Mom, his troubled amazing Dad...they all touched my heart.

[KimmyK · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a story of love and loss when everything seems hopeless. This is a reminder that it's always darkest before dawn.

[Matt Haynes · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little slow at times, but good overall.

[Amy Snyder · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, and at times it was sad and touching, but in the end there was no resolution and poor Nate's life never improves. His father has tried to kill himself because he is so depressed. He is a terrible farmer with bad luck, and since a storm has destroyed their crop and they will soon be bankrupt, he cannot take it. The father is taken to a mental hospital and the mother is blamed for his shooting, since they cannot find the gun. Nate and his sister Junie are now shunned at school. Nate loses his best friend and Junie invites many children to her birthday party, with the only one showing up a young girl with cerebral palsy. The mother is so depressed that she is no longer emotionally there for the children, and they are not allowed to go see their father. Nate must complete a science project, and the only choice for a partner is Naomi, the strange new girl who is very religious. Eventually, Junie must lose her pony as they need to sell it to pay their debts, and they lose the farm. Nate tried to win the science fair with Naomi so he can go visit their father, but his grandfathers watch, which they need to see the asteroid particles in the cloud chamber, is stolen at the fair before the judges can see it. They know who stole it, a girl who accused Naomi of stealing her bracelet, but there is nothing they can do. The only thing I did not like was the end. Nate drives himself and Junie to see their father, abandoing the car when it runs out of gas. Nate realizes that his father has been blinded from shooting himself, and although he, Naomi, and his again best friend eventually find the gun and clear his mother's name, it is too late. They must move away. Mom has found a new apartment and the farm is sold, and it seems as if their parents will never be together again. There really is no resolution to the story, but I guess in a way it more mirrors real life than if everything were patched up in the end. I realize now that I respect the ending of the book more than I initially thought.

[Ringzabell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book, The Cloud Chamber, by Joyce Maynard is named that because the main character, a boy named , makes a cloud chamber for the school science fair.

The kid lives with his mom and his dad is locked up somewhere do to his suicide attempt. The kid’s mom won’t let him talk to his dad, and she doesn’t talk to him about what happened so he is alone. The mom is in her own world because the police thinks she shot her husband . No one can find the gun he used to shoot himself, so they blame her. No one is town will talk to them because of the incident.

The main character works on his building his cloud chamber science experiment with another girl who is also isolated. She has religious extremist parents who don’t let her socialize with anyone. The parents let her visit with him because they are trying to save him from his father’s sin of trying to take his own life.
As they work on their science experiment together, they form a friendship as a way to move beyond their isolation.
In the end, they are both alone again, because they religious parents stop letting her leave the house. The boy decides to hitchhike to the mental hospital to talk to his dad. He discovers that his dad is blind because of the gunshot. to his face.

It is funny that such an sad and dark story ends in an kind of uplifting way of enduring and continuing on. The kid learns that you have to keep on and move yourself to a better place.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cloud Chamber is one of those books that slowly and secretly sneaks into your soul and pulls you towards it. I wasn't particularly interested at the start, but somehow, something just clicked within me and suddenly I was just...completely addicted to it. Joyce Maynard really worked her magic with this book, throwing some serious issues in our face with lighthearted ways, yet letting us deeply understand the cruelty of society.

This book is just sad. Beautifully and tragically sad. It's not the grief of the death of a person, or a loved one with cancer, those books are different. This sadness is the accumulation of the impact of all the family members, realizing that while Dad had tried to kill himself, he too killed his family members.

I cried my way through the book, but couldn't tear my eyes away from the pages. It was so emotional and so inspiring. I was angry, then sad, then inspired. Mix of emotions really.

I thought it was one of those "Meh. Let's get this over and done with." books, but in fact, you won't be able to put the book down mentally even if you have done so physically. That's what happened to me. The whirl of questions and unspoken thoughts just keep tumbling inside my head even after writing all these. I don't know. The impact after reading this book and digesting it will be everlasting.

[MadisonT · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was about a ten year old boy named Nate Chance who builds/makes a cloud chamber to save his dad. When Nate arrives home from school, he sees two police cars in his yard and an ambulance. Before his mother can get him and his seven year old little sister Junie inside the house, Junie witness their father, blood pouring down his face, being led by two police officers into the ambulance. Their father was trying to kill himself. As soon as that incident happened, their home quickly starts to change into a different place. Junie is always curled up in front of the TV, Nate's mom retreats inside herself, and the rumor of mental illness makes Nate a social pariah-(outcast, undesirable, unperson/nonperson. The promise of winning the science fair holds any hope of happiness for Nate. He's building a cloud chamber, which is the project that he and his father had dreamed of working on together. If Nate can build it, he can give his father something that will help him feel better, and his dad will finally be able to come home.

I liked this book because it was really mysterious and I thought that I would never read a book like this, but when I did it became one of my favorite books! The Cloud Chamber was sad and very wild too. I also liked it because I am int books that are sad, true or not true, mysterious,and scary at some point. Anyway, this book was really, really good.

[Fatima Mauricio · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cloud Chamber is a story that takes place in Montana. The Story is narrated by a young boy named Nate. Nate’s entire life was standard there was never something to worry about. Nate, and his younger sister Junie, would have never imagined, that their dad would try to suicide himself.
Nate and Junie’s life changed after their dad was taken to a recovery center for lunatics. With so much going on Nate forgot to brainstorm ideas for the science fair. Nate was later forced by the teacher to team-up with Naomi. Naomi part in the story ass the weird church girl who turns out to be Nate’s best friend .Nate chooses that him and Naomi were going to build a Cloud Chamber for the science fair project and that they are going to win for that he can show it to his dad. This book will fallow Nate’s life as he struggles to work on his science project, and when he tries to find evidence that his mom did not try to kill his dad because of money struggles.
This book was probably one of my favorite book that I have read so far. This book has a sense of reality attached to it that is kind of reassuring. After finishing this book I was hoping that there was a second book but there was none.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

14 year old Nate comes home from school to police cars everywhere. Apparently, his father attempted suicide, but failure to find the rifle that caused his head wound has the local law enforcement-and the neighbors-wondering if Nate's mother fired the shot. Their Montana dairy farm was already in big trouble and now they may have to sell everything. Nate deals with the cold shoulders he gets at school by deciding he will win build a science project that would make his father proud: a cloud chamber in which the radiation of cosmic particles is made visible in vapor. His partner is the girl no one likes: Naomi dresses funny, and her father is a fire-and-brimstone preacher. As he works on the cloud chamber, Nate dreams of finding his father and proving that his family is not just a bunch of “crazies.”

[Wisterious Woman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book gives a great accounting of the good and bad sides to having a parent with a bipolar illness. It also portrays the hard luck many farmers have and how they can lose everything because of it. The two odd ball kids in the story are likeable and the main character's persistence despite many obstacles was admirable. Nate has a very caring relationship with his little sister. It is a mystery as well as historic fiction. I found it enjoyable because it brought me right back to the 1960 when it mentions popular TV shows from that time period--a think a kid today might be clueless to many of the references thus the historic fiction label. Things don't ever go perfectly in Nate's life and there are no sweet endings. Even so, I think it is a feel-good story.

[Reader57 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good juvenile read. Nate is 10 and his sister Junie is 7. It's 1967 is mid-America farm region. Nate and Junie come home one day to see their father with blood on his face and mumbling as the police take him away in an ambulance. Their whole world changes then. The adults won't talk about it with him but the kids at school sure talk enough to figure out what's going on. He and Junie become outcasts and end up becoming connected with other outcasts as people say his father is "psycho" and the police investigate his mother as a suspect in the shooting. Nate and Junie become fixated on finding a way to go see their dad since the adults won't take them. I really liked the ending though I can't say they all "live happily ever after".

[Mr.G · Rating 3 out of 5]

A review on the back described The Cloud Chamber as "the saddest and most joyful book you've ever read."
Someone got a little carried away on that one, but I could see where they were going.
In the novel, a young boy suffers persecution and alienation in a small town while trying to come to terms with his father's attempted suicide. Through flashbacks, we learn about his father, an all-around great dad whose spirit is slowly crushed by bad luck and repeated financial setbacks.
The story struck me as fairly engaging, but the end seemed abrupt.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did enjoy this and I have enjoyed other Maynard books. I first read her because of her connection with JD Salinger but have come to appreciate her clear, spare style and her empathy for her very ordinary, yet still extraordinary characters. The slightly hard done by, slightly careworn woman and the rural slightly underprivileged settings are very recognisable. This story of a couple's loving yet fraught relationship and it's impact on their children is an almost kidult book but nonetheless enjoyable. The Science Fair was very recognisable!

[Ava · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than expected! I thought this book would be very stereotypical as a person from this region, especially based off of the author's note and like the first few sentences, but I was pleasantly surprised! This story is one of realization that though some things in life are out of control and unfair, they don't need to overtake us or steal our joy and life's purpose. It touches on topics of suicide, gossip, community ridicule, mental health, and growing up. While it is geared towards a middle-grade audience, I think anyone will enjoy reading this kind of story from a child's perspective.

[Tracy Challis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joyce Maynard always writes real, relatable characters that I care deeply about. This book was no exception.

How can people heap cruelty on people who are already hurting? Why?
Some have claimed this is a YA book simply because the protagonist is a middle school boy. Though I think middle-schoolers could gain a lot from reading this book, adults would benefit as well. After all, the majority of the people causing pain in this story are adults. And I feel it is generally pretty reflective of real life. I think children have a lot of insight and wisdom, that we never give them credit for.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book was a very sweet tale about how a family's life can change for the worse and how much they are willing to change it. So when Nate's father tries to kill himself Nate has to try to do something to make his dad proud of him. So Nate builds a project that should make his dad have something worth living over. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes a story of hope a dedication.

[Shari Blakey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cloud Chamber is another good Joyce Maynard book. It is interesting to me how different all of her novels are. Many authors have threads that run through all of their books, but she does not seem to. I very much appreciated listening to this book since the characterization was very interesting. The plot was also although if you summarized it, it would sound trite, but it was far from that.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like this work as well as I have liked her other novels. It is a young adult oriented book, and really felt like it was oriented to a younger crowd. I would not say that was true of The Usual Rules. I liked it fine, a quick read. Just didn't love it and didn't think it was as layered as her other works.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first, I thought the story would end happily, with Nate winning the science fair and his father all right. But in the end, there's a little twist which makes the story more interesting. Even though Nate didn't win and his father became blind, the story still ends happily. This story really teaches you about family and friendship.