To Come and Go Like Magic

February 1, 2010
Told in beautifully crafted vignettes, Fawcett's debut is a story of smalltown Appalachian life in the 1970s and finding the courage to leave home. Twelve-year-old Chili Sue Mahoney feels suffocated by her one-road hometown of Mercy Hill, Ky., living alongside mountain people, VISTA workers, and “welfares.” Adding to her claustrophobia: her pregnant sister, Myra, and her Uncle Lu, whose mind “comes and goes like the wind,” have moved in after being left by their spouses. Reading is Chili's main escape until a substitute teacher, Miss Matlock, fills her mind with visions of world travel. The more time Chili spends with Miss Matlock (a stark contrast to time spent with her pragmatic family and her destitute friend, Willie), the more Chili yearns to be someone else, living somewhere else. Chili's first-person narrative stretches from poetic thoughts (“I wish the black night could alight like a moth and carry me away on its silent wings”) to more down-to-earth observations. Her insights are absorbing and her setbacks heartbreaking, as she weighs the only home she's ever known against the possibilities that loom farther afield. Ages 10–up.

March 1, 2010
Gr 5-7-Thirteen-year-old Chili Sue Mahoney lives with her parents and brother in the hills of Kentucky. Within months, her married and pregnant sister moves back home, an orphaned cousin comes to stay, and an old uncle takes up residence in the attic. The little house is full to overflowing, and Chili dreams of far-flung adventures. But in 1975, folks don't leave Mercy Hill. While they may disparage their more poverty-ridden neighbors, at least the "welfares" can be trusted more than those citified Northerners. Even old Miss Matlock, who left when she was young and eventually came back, is viewed with suspicion as an outsider. Chili, however, is thrilled when the teacher is assigned to her seventh-grade classroom: finally, she can learn from someone who has seen the world. Miss Matlock's accounts of her travels open up new possibilities for her, but as the teen discovers more about the woman's early life, she has to question whether her actions were truly courageous or remarkably self-centered. Chili is a likable protagonist, and her descriptions of family and friends make them fully realized characters in their own right. The glimpses into seemingly mundane events allow readers to realize how much she has grown in her relationships. Give this appealing novel to those who enjoy the poignancy and lyricism in Barbara O'Connor's or Deborah Wiles's work."Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2010
Grades 5-8 Twelve-year-old Chili has a burning desire to see the world, but People dont leave Mercy Hill, says her momma. She is the child of a poor, tight-knit Appalachian family, so this particular dream seems even more unlikely to come true. Then Miss Matlock, the new substitute teacher and a well-traveled former daughter of Mercy Hill, enters her life. She encourages Chilis wanderlust with books, souvenirs, and stories from far-off places while pushing her academically. But Chilis mentor has earned the disdain of the townsfolk for turning her back on them. Brief slice-of-life vignettes piece together the puzzle of Miss Matlocks past, slowly reveal Mercy Hills history, and showcase Chilis struggle with growing up. Fawcetts debut novel displays great promise. The frank prose is laced with wistful longing even while exploring heady themes like gender, class, love, and loyalty. Reluctant readers will find an engaging, lyrical story that excites their sense of wonder, and discover that though they may venture forth, home will never be far away.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)