Title: Walk Two Moons
Author: Sharon Creech
Major Themes: Grief, Friends, Family, Friends
Synopsis: As Sal travels to Idaho with her eccentric grandparents to track down her missing mother, she tells them the story of her friend, whose mother also went missing.
One reason that I do reading challenges is so that I will actually read some of the books that have been on our shelves without being read for a long time. One of those recently was Walk Two Moons. I bought it over five years ago on a clearance sale, and put it on the shelf to wait its turn. That time never came…until I had the prompt “space.” The author of the challenge said that it could mean science fiction about anything having to do with space, or a word in the title that had to do with space. Well, the moon is in space, right? So, finally, I read this book.
Publisher’s description:
Thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle, proud of her country roots and the “Indian-ness in her blood,” travels from Ohio to Idaho with her eccentric grandparents. Along the way, she tells them of the story of Phoebe Winterbottom, who received mysterious messages, who met a “potential lunatic,” and whose mother disappeared.
As Sal entertains her grandparents with Phoebe’s outrageous story, her own story begins to unfold—the story of a thirteen-year-old girl whose only wish is to be reunited with her missing mother.
My thoughts:
What a story. I didn’t want to set Walk Two Moons down while I was reading it, and stayed awake a bit later than usual one night to finish it. When I got to the end, I realized that I had a wrong impression about someone in the story, all the way through! There were hints dropped here and there about an important event in Sal’s back story, but I didn’t pick up on what those hints meant until the third-to-last chapter. All the way through, little tiny bits of the story were revealed, building up a full picture, but masterfully concealing the truth.
The same was true about Sal’s friend Phoebe Winterbottom. (What a name! That was another thing I loved, the creative surnames.) I was aggravated with her all the way through the book, but when the truth about her family came out, in one of the last chapters, she was understandable, too—and I had to feel sorry for her. After reading this book, I would like to read more by Sharon Creech!
WARNING: Sal’s grandfather swore almost every time he talked, saying gol-dang, dang, and hell. Sal prayed to trees, because she couldn’t see God. Throughout, a boy wooed Sal and tried to kiss her; they kissed two times. Phoebe said gosh in chapter 9 and golly in chapter 26. Her father said blast it in chapter 25 and to hell in chapter 39. A woman was seen kissing a younger man in chapter 36. Someone talked about a helluva thing in chapter 41.
Age levels:
Listening Level—Ages 12 – 15
Reading Independently—Ages 12 – 15, 15 and Above, Adults
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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