Walking with Miss Millie

May 15, 2017
Bundy debuts with an unlikely-friendship story, set in 1968, between a 10-year-old white girl and an elderly black neighbor. Alice, her mother, and her deaf six-year-old brother, Eddie, have moved from Columbus, Ohio, to the tiny town of Rainbow, Ga., to take care of Alice’s grandmother, newly suffering from what Alice calls “the forgetful disease.” Unwillingly displaced, Alice longs to reunite her separated parents; when she accidentally eavesdrops on a telephone party line, her mother makes her apologize and offer her help to one of the parties: 92-year-old Miss Millie, her grandmother’s widowed neighbor. Soon the two are taking daily walks with Miss Millie’s dog and confiding in each other. Slowly, through their conversations and through Alice’s daily observations and interactions in town, she awakens to segregation and prejudice. Miss Millie is somewhat broadly drawn, but what could be a stereotypical relationship is made richer by Alice’s growing individuality as a character. While the book offers no real surprises, Bundy avoids the expected plot development surrounding Alice’s deadbeat dad, and Alice’s strong character development makes for a satisfying read. Ages 10–up. Agent: Steven Chudney, Chudney Agency.

May 1, 2017
The summer of 1968 brings huge changes to the lives of a young white girl and an elderly black woman--and cements a beautiful friendship.Having relocated from Columbus, Ohio, to Rainbow, Georgia, with her mom and deaf younger brother, Alice, almost 11, hopes against hope the move isn't permanent and is determined not to feel at home or make friends. The white family's arrived at Grandma's because her increasing mental confusion has become worrisome. When Alice inadvertently overhears the "colored" next-door neighbor, Miss Millie, on the telephone party line, Mama orders Alice to apologize and offer help to the 92-year-old. Alice is tasked with walking Miss Millie's nearly blind dog--who won't budge unless accompanied by his owner. Thus old and young woman make daily treks. Over time, Alice learns painful truths about the tragic family losses Millie suffered because of racism and segregation--and is given treasured mementos from Millie's past. For her part, Millie recognizes Alice's aching sense of loss over her father's abandonment of the family. Alice's first-person narration sounds just right as she describes her relationships with family and townsfolk--and, especially, her eye-opening, heartwarming, and humorous encounters with the wonderful Miss Millie, who has come to cherish her young friend. The very poignant yet uplifting ending definitely merits a hanky, but readers will agree that walking with these excellently portrayed main characters was well worth the journey. A memorable and lovely debut. (Historical fiction. 10-12)

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May 1, 2017

Gr 4-6-Set in 1968, this middle school novel touches on issues of bullying, abandonment, domestic violence, unemployment, race, disability, and poverty. A young white girl, Alice, has just moved to Georgia from Ohio. She's soon asked to help her elderly neighbor, a black woman named Miss Millie, by walking her dog each day. Stubborn canine Clarence proves difficult, so Miss Millie and Alice walk him together. As the days go by, Alice and Miss Millie talk about many things, including the destructive history of racism and segregation in the small town. The pacing suffers about halfway through, slowing down considerably and making the last half a bit of a slog. Despite the length, several themes and plot points remain underdeveloped. For example, during the celebration of Alice's 11th birthday, her grandmother and Miss Millie are both in attendance, but it is never explained when or how the two women became accepting of each other, when earlier, the grandmother seemed racist toward Miss Millie or at least unwilling to have her in her home. The father of two other characters, Jake and Pam, is portrayed as a hateful person, verbally and physically abusive, who teaches his children prejudice and uses the N-word. It is not clear if or how he reacts when his children eventually befriend Alice and her brother. Ultimately, this is a forced and predictable book in which a naive white heroine learns life lessons from an Auntie Mame character. The text is riddled with stereotypes about black culture. Despite the need for novels set during this time period that explore the painful legacy of racial segregation, the characterizations do more harm than good. The author's attempts to offer platitudes on tolerance and acceptance of others come across as trite and didactic. VERDICT An unfortunate and harmful example of black characters being used as foils for a white character's enlightenment. A hard pass.-Gwen Collier, Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, NY

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