The Lonely Heart of Maybelle Lane

January 15, 2020
On a road trip to Nashville to sing in a competition judged by the father she's never met, 11-year-old Maybelle Lane finds courage she didn't know she had--and it's contagious. The panic-prone narrator's mother warns her: "nothing good will come" from learning anything more about the father she's only known as a radio voice. But when she hears about his role in the upcoming contest, she can't resist signing up. Unexpectedly, her neighbor Mrs. Boggs agrees to drive her there from their trailer-park home in Louisiana. Mrs. Boggs is the strictest teacher in her school, but she has a heart. She even allows Tommy O'Brien, a detested classmate with a difficult home life, to come along after he stows away in the RV. These are well-developed, complex characters who all grow and change over the course of their road trip. The two children are white; Mrs. Boggs is an African American widow, still mourning her husband but strong in other ways. She addresses a stranger's casual racism directly and quellingly, explaining to Maybelle: "If you're going to control twenty wriggly eleven-year-olds, you better know how to command a room." Lonely Maybelle is a budding musician who collects sounds on her old-fashioned tape recorder, labeling the collection she makes on their trip "the sound of happiness," reflecting her growing maturity in the face of the mission's mixed success. A rich and rewarding debut. (Fiction. 8-12)

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February 1, 2020

Gr 4 Up-Eleven-year-old Maybelle Lane has never met her father. Everything she knows of him comes from one voicemail, and her Momma saying he'll just break her heart. When Maybelle discovers he is a radio DJ and will be judging a singing competition in Nashville, she signs up instantly. Even better, the event lines up perfectly with her Momma's month-long work trip. During her mother's absence, Maybelle is placed under the care of her rigid neighbor, Mrs. Boggs. She devises a plan to make it to Nashville on her own, yet when her plan goes awry, Mrs. Boggs ends up accompanying her on the road. Joined by their neighbor Tommy, the trio sets off on a quest filled with courage, a dog named Pickles, and unexpected friendship. O'Shaughnessy's debut is illuminated by characters each brimming with charm and grit while coping with deeper scars. Readers will cheer on plucky Maybelle and will empathize with her anxiety attacks and her being bullied for her mother's sexuality. Perfectly paced with a few surprise twists, this novel layers themes of resilience and finding love in unexpected places. VERDICT A recommended purchase, this novel will be welcomed into the hearts of many readers.-Amy McInerney, Falmouth Elementary School, ME

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Starred review from February 3, 2020
Eleven-year-old Maybelle and her mother moved to a trailer park in Davenport, La., after a falling-out with Maybelle’s Baton Rouge grandparents that she believes is her fault. Maybelle’s mom works two jobs but struggles to get by, and lonely Maybelle, who is white, is bullied after her mother goes on a date with Miss King, a teacher at her school. When her mom gets a monthlong job singing on a cruise, Maybelle is left in the care of African-American neighbor Mrs. Boggs. Learning that her dad, a radio DJ whom she’s never met, will be judging a singing contest in Nashville, she enters, then persuades Mrs. Boggs to drive her. Neighbor Tommy, who is white and Maybelle’s occasional bully, sneaks into the trailer, and Mrs. Boggs persuades Maybelle to give him a chance, knowing that Tommy may have his own struggles. Soon the threesome, along with a dog they rescue along the way, are having an enjoyable adventure. But Maybelle, who suffers from anxiety and a fear of singing, must dig deep to find the courage to perform when they finally arrive. Lyrical and full of heart, this road trip story gets to the core of what it means to create family, to be brave, and to accept the flaws of being human. Ages 8–12. Agent: Pete Knapp, Park Literary.