Due out from Tradewind Books in Canada in 2015 is Tara White's
Where I Belong. The main character is Carrie, a teen with black hair and dark skin who was adopted by a white couple.
Here's the synopsis:
This moving novel of self-discovery and awareness takes place during the Oka crisis in the summer of 1990. Adopted as an infant, Carrie has always felt out of place somehow. Recurring dreams haunt her, warning that someone close to her will be badly hurt. When she finds out that her birth father is Mohawk, living in Kahnawake, Quebec, she makes the journey and finally achieves a sense of home and belonging.
One of the huge holes in children's and young adult literature are stories about Native activism. I had high hopes for this book, especially from a Mohawk writer, but the writing did not strike me as that of someone who is an insider. The dreams throughout the story put it in a space that felt exotic rather than organic, and later in the story, a Native elder is in crisis, and a white doctor (Carrie's mother is a doctor) saves her life. For me, that is the white savior trope. Not recommended.
Where I Belong
by Tara White
(Tradewind Books, 2014 (Canada)/2015 (US & UK))
Sixteen-year-old Carrie tells her story of what happened in the summer of 1990, when she … Continue reading ... →
Today I am happy to be a part of
The Teen Book Scene's (
Click link for other reviews and interviews) tour for
Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley. I had the pleasure of interviewing one of the main characters, Bubby.
Bubby: I love how it’s the one thing that brings our town together. People in the Spoke disagree about everything but their love for the Mockingbirds. It’s much more than just a game for us.
Kate: What is your favorite memory of Broken Spoke?
Bubby: Spoiler Alert: Winning State. I suppose I should say meeting Corrinne, but we didn’t make the best first impressions on each other.
Kate: What did you think of Corrine when you first met?
Bubby: Her accent. All I could hear is accent. But I also noticed that she was very pretty even if she looked way too made up for the first day of school.
Kate: What is your history with Rider?
Bubby: I have no history with that hipster wannabee. I detest his music, and I hate how he plays at every party dance whatever just because the girls think he’s cute.
Kate: Where do you want to see yourself in the future?
Bubby: I’d like to play ball at UT and get a good education, but I’d also like to end up back in the Spoke. I am proud to be from here.
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Thanks Bubby for the interview!!
From Goodreads. Corrinne Corcoran’s upscale Manhattan life is perfectly on track—until her father announces he’s been laid off and she’s shipped off to Broken Spoke, Texas, to live with her grandparents. All alone in a big public school and forced to take a job shoveling manure, Corrinne is determined to get back to the glamorous life she’s supposed to be living. But as she grudgingly adjusts—making new friends and finding romance along the way—this city girl begins to realize that life without credit cards and shopping sprees may not be as bad as it seems....
For more info, check out Gwendolyn Heasley's website and my Review of Where I Belong
Publisher: HarperTeen (February 1, 2011)
Paperback: 304 pages
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Book from The Teen Book Scene (check out other stops on this tour by clicking the link!
From Goodreads. Corrinne Corcoran’s upscale Manhattan life is perfectly on track—until her father announces he’s been laid off and she’s shipped off to Broken Spoke, Texas, to live with her grandparents. All alone in a big public school and forced to take a job shoveling manure, Corrinne is determined to get back to the glamorous life she’s supposed to be living. But as she grudgingly adjusts—making new friends and finding romance along the way—this city girl begins to realize that life without credit cards and shopping sprees may not be as bad as it seems....
Review
WHERE I BELONG, by Gwendolyn Heasley, is a sweet riches to rags story. In the wake of the recession, Corrinne (teen Manhattanite) and her younger brother move to Broken Spoke (podunk town in the middle of nowheresville Texas). She is heart-broken to be leaving her best friend, Waverly, and the chance to attend a very prestigious boarding school that Fall. But Broken Spoke's charm and simple-town life may have a different affect on her than she would have ever dreamed. I really enjoyed this book. It was a charming story of a young girl getting off her high horse and learning that the world is not made up of New York City.
The cast of characters are definitely something to rave about. The people that Corrinne choose to hang out with in each place were total opposites but complimented her personality in either place. Waverly was the exaggerated NYC teen and Kisty was the stereotypical cheerleading Texas girl. Where Waverly tested Corrinne's willingness to fit in, Kisty welcomed her with open arms into a strange place. But the relationships that changed Corrinne the most was her romantic ones. She was immediately attracted to Rider. He was the rocker guy who was too cool for Texas and that is exactly how she felt initially. But Bubby, football star and all around nice guy, pestered her non-stop to question her life away from the Big Apple.
Overall this was a pretty great book. The charming characters and story really warms the heart.
For more info, check out Gwendolyn Heasley's
website
