Part of Me

This book, Part of Me by Kimberly Willis Holt, was something new for me. It’s follows the trail of a family, starting with Rose, on to her son Merle Henry, and continues. Each part of the book is composed of one generation’s voice, tracing the years, from 1939 to 2004. Rose is a fourteen year old living in Texas, but when her father walks out one day, her family is uprooted and taken to live with her grandfather in Houma, Louisiana. This world of bayous and Cajun accents is brand new to Rose, but she may have found her place driving the town’s bookmobile. Years later, Rose has a son, Merle Henry, whose sole dream is to trap a mink…and hopefully learn how to dance in time for the Sweetheart Dance. Of course, he’d rather read Old Yeller then some dance book. Before you know it, Merle Henry has his own family, and his daughter Annabeth is struggling to deal with one of the most baffling things in the world–popularity, and how to get it. But every now and then she can settle down enough to read a fairy tale. However, Annabeth’s son Kyle would much rather listen to Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin than even think of picking up a book. So you can imagine his problem when he has to get a job at the library. All these people are real, interesting characters. The author’s writing is great, and kept me sucked in. There was just one problem: I found myself wanting to know what happened after the characters’ narratives switched, especially Rose’s. I want to know more about Rose’s grandfather, how the Sweetheart Dance went for Merle Henry, how Annabeth found her knight in shining armor, and if Kyle ever earned the respect of his father. I would definitely be pleased if the author wrote individual books for these characters, but this book is still great in its own right. You should give it a try.