Dollbaby

July 1, 2014
In the vein of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt and The Help, McNeal's touching coming-of-age tale brings to life Civil Rights-era New Orleans.When 12-year-old Ibby's father dies in an accident, her no-good mother, Vidrine, hauls her across the country to live with a grandmother she's never met: the tragic, eccentric and indomitable Fannie Bell. Fannie's big house in New Orleans is like nothing Ibby's seen in Olympia, Washington; of particular note are the two black women, Queenie and her daughter Dollbaby, who work there. Soon, Ibby learns the Fannie Rules: Don't ask questions, don't unlock the doors on the second floor, and don't talk about the past. Infractions send Fannie to the mental hospital for a "rest," a not-infrequent event. Ibby begins private school and becomes friends with Dollbaby's daughter Birdelia; though the same age, they live remarkably different lives in the segregated South. Dollbaby goes to lunch-counter sit-ins, her brother T-Bone goes to Vietnam, the Civil Rights Amendment is passed, and slowly, the old guard of the South gives way to hippies. The story wanders gently along: Ibby has a Sweet 16 party, an old tree falls on the house, nasty Annabelle Friedrichs accuses T-Bone of rape (this lie is easily revealed thanks to Miss Fannie's cleverness), and though at times the plotting is overly episodic, with few natural transitions to link the scenes, McNeal's portrait of a time and place is rich enough to mitigate the flaws. Slowly, a picture of Fannie's past emerges, one that explains the frequent visits to the mental hospital and also her great generosity. At Fannie's mysterious demise, final secrets are revealed-truths that will tug a tear from the hardest of hearts.Rich characterization makes McNeal's debut a lovely summer read.

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Starred review from July 1, 2014

Ibby Bell is dumped by her mother on her grandmother's doorstep, holding an urn with the ashes of her recently deceased father. The naive, spirited teenager arrives in New Orleans in the midst of the racial turmoil of the 1960s. Her eccentric, wealthy grandmother Fannie's house holds myriad secrets: locked rooms, asylum visits, racial tension, and dark truths. The saving graces in Ibby's new life are the blooming friendships she finds with Fannie's cook Queenie and her daughter, nicknamed Dollbaby, who help her navigate Southern life and show her the true meaning of family. VERDICT Bursting with believable conflict and lovable characters, along with a lush and evocative portrait of the Crescent City during the civil rights era, this debut novel marks the arrival of an original and assured writer. Fans of Pat Conroy and Sue Monk Kidd will enjoy this new Southern talent. [See Editors' Picks, "Books for the Masses," p. 28; July LibraryReads pick, p. 119.--Ed.]--Julia M. Reffner, Fairport, NY

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2014
Ibby is almost 12 when her father dies, and her mother, suddenly consumed by wanderlust, drops her off in New Orleans with the paternal grandmother she has never met. Initially reserved, Ibby has little time to wallow in her sorrow. Grandmother Fannie is loving but eccentric and occasionally disappears for respite at the local sanitarium. On these occasions, Ibby is left in the care of Fannie's black cook, Queenie, and Queenie's daughter, Dollbaby, who teach her to understand and love her new world and slowly reveal to her the secrets of the old home and its inhabitants. Though Ibby never stops watching for her mother, through the years she finds love and acceptance with this new, cobbled-together family. Replete with southern tradition and the heady emotions of the civil rights movement, this first novel is richly if a bit romantically imagined. It is a touching coming-of-age story that is sincere and poignant. A lighter version of The Help (2009), with similar charm and intention, Dollbaby is sure to please.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)