Home > Categories > Books > Kids - General > Louisiana's Way Home review
When Louisiana Elefante's granny wakes her up in the middle of the night to tell her that the day of reckoning has arrived and they have to leave home immediately, Louisiana isn't overly worried. After all, Granny has many middle-of-the-night ideas. But this time, things are different.
This time, Granny intends for them never to return. Separated from her best friends, Raymie and Beverly, Louisiana struggles to oppose the winds of fate (and Granny) and find a way home.
But as Louisiana's life becomes entwined with the lives of the people of a small Georgia town (including a surly motel owner, a walrus-like minister, and a mysterious boy with a crow on his shoulder) she starts to worry that she is destined only for good-byes, which could be due to the curse on Louisiana's and Granny's heads. But that is a story for another time.
Product reviews...
Working in a children's bookshop means you get asked to recommend books rather a lot and this book is one that gets suggested for those looking for a book for their eight to twelve year old child, so I finally grabbed the shop copy off the shelf to take home and give it a try. For an adult, this is a quick and easy read, I should also point out that it is from a child's point of view and in her words so don't expect big words or riveting language. That being said, this is a sweet little story. I did struggle with the writing style for the majority of the book, but there's nothing otherworldly or fantastic going on, simply a child trying to work out where she is headed.
The story itself takes place over just a week or so, it does feel like it is a bit rushed and puts Louisiana through a lot in that small space of time, but once I finished the book the pacing didn't feel as bad. Louisiana wasn't a hugely likable character, I didn't feel invested in her story nor particularly care where she was headed (I did expect an entirely different ending than what we ended up with) or even like the kid, but that helped make her feel a little more realistic. By the end of the book, I only enjoyed the family that become involved in the final chapter or two. I, personally, won't be reading this again but at least I can now say that I've read the popular book.
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