4 out of 4 stars
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The Improbable Wonders of Moojie Littleman is a young adult novel by Robin Gregory.
The story takes place in the late 1800s. The setting is San Miguel, a village on the Pacific coast of America. As a baby, Moojie is left on the porch of a chapel. Henry and Kate Littleman eventually adopt Moojie, who proves to be a bit slow and has difficulty walking. When his adoptive mother dies in a tragic accident, Moojie is left under the care of his grandfather at St. Isidore’s Fainting Goat Dairy. At the age of 14, Moojie encounters the Hostiles, a supernatural clan that is greatly hated by the villagers. As he meets with the clan members in secret, they teach him their mysterious ways. Moojie’s ultimate goal is to find a family that he desires and deserves. The Hostiles just might be the answer to his dilemma.
Moojie is dissatisfied with the circumstances of his life and tries to take charge of his own destiny. He is a character that readers can easily relate to. The love he develops for the Hostiles is directly paralleled by his grandfather’s hatred toward them. It would make sense for Moojie’s grandfather to be the villain of the story, but thankfully the matter isn’t that simple. His obsession for their demise is powerful, adds dimension to his character, and complicates the relationship he has with Moojie. The thorough examination of both sides of the conflict is well handled.
The prose is quite splendid. There are many moments of beautiful imagery: “Since early life, dreams of undersea forests had haunted Moojie, twisted faces and open mouths tangled in kelp. Without Mamma, there was no one left to understand him, leaving in her absence a dark and terrifying sea.” The story is also filled with great dialogue. The Hostiles tend to speak in riddles to impart their wisdom to Moojie: “Aye, waiting for love is like waiting for yesterday.” This often causes the reader to stop and evaluate the words according to individual beliefs. The thought-provoking nature of the writing is one of the story’s greatest strengths.
The book is divided into three parts. Part I starts the book off in a promising way. In Part II, the story loses its forward momentum. Many things are teased to the reader, like Moojie finally running away to join the clan or being sent away from the farm by his grandfather. Such points are repeatedly brought up without much actually happening. The reader is left waiting for the adventure to begin. The redundancy and underwhelming suspense of Part II were disappointing. Fortunately, the momentum picks up again right before the start of Part III. The plot threads come together, leading to a satisfying conclusion that I didn't see coming. The reader's expectations are somewhat led astray, but the pieces of the puzzle are there all along. This technique was ultimately quite impressive.
The best aspect of the book is the focus on family. There is a deep exploration of what it means to be a part of a family and what to do if you’re dissatisfied with the family you have. The importance of being accepted for who you are is also highlighted. Moojie’s desperate yearning to belong and make sense of his suffering challenges what many readers may take for granted.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. Though it seemed to drag in the middle, the story managed to surprise me in more ways than one. The messages and wisdom found throughout the pages caused me to reflect on my own beliefs. I don’t recommend this book if you’re not a fan of magic realism. If you want to read to an enchanting tale about finding one’s inner strength, then this might be the book for you.
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The Improbable Wonders of Moojie Littleman
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