"Around 5:00 a.m. on a warm Sunday morning in October 1953, my Aunt Belle left her bed and vanished from the face of the earth."This was wonderful. Two cousins brought together by tough circumstances: Woodrow's mother, Belle Prater, has disappeared from their home in a Virginia holler, and he comes to Coal Station to live with his grandparents, next door to his cousin Gypsy, whose father died years ago -- and whose mother has remarried, to Gypsy's dismay. Gypsy, like her mother, is a beauty, with long, gorgeous hair, but sometimes she feels that's all people see of her. Her family is pretty well off, hosting THE town's social event of the year, etc. In contrast, Woodrow wears old clothes, and his eyes are crossed, but he tells wonderful stories and jokes, and is a quiet trickster. The two become close friends, bound by their family history (Gypsy's mother stole Belle's boyfriend and married him) and by their secrets: Woodrow has some ideas about where his mother has gone, and Gypsy suffers from terrible nightmares. The year of their sixth grade and the summer after unwinds, through family stories and dealing with bullies, exploring tree houses and the night streets with a local character, Blind Benny. Bit by bit, the truth of some old family secrets is revealed, until the final shocking truth about Gypsy's dad comes out. Gypsy discovers that her stepfather is a good guy. We find out more about what might have happened to Woodrow's mother--no complete answers, but that's not the point (and there's a sequel.) The Search for Belle Prater This is about looking beyond the surface, about family, loyalty and friendship.Notes: Woodrow pretending to spike the punch,getting bully to sit on chiggers, beating him up for revealing her father's suicide."Don't look in the window!" (Show clip of Rear Window)Chapter 13: How important is appearance? Blind Benny, Woodrow, Gypsy's hair, and of course, her father's scarred face.Gypsy has measles, dreams that blind Benny tells her,"it's not so bad being blind, then you can't see ugly things."Is it better to be attractive or talented?Dixie Pixie--coming into her own"A beautiful place can't shelter you from hurt any more than a shack can."Gypsy learns about her father (and mother)'s kindness to blind Benny--room over hardware storeWhat one day would you choose to relive
Rahasia Embusan Angin adalah novel transisi anak-anak menuju dewasa yang menggambarkan kisah bagaimana seorang anak bisa menghadapi suatu kenyataan yang sulit.Dalam menulis novelnya,Ruth White menyuguhkan kepada pembaca bahasa yang mudah di cerna sehingga pembaca akan selalu ingin membca kelanjutan kisahnya yang sudah disetting bagus oleh Ruth White runtutan ceritanya.Seolah-olah kita menjadi detektif kecil yang memecahkan sebuah kasus dengan bukti-bukti yang berurutan.Kisah ini di awali pada suatu pagi yang dingin,tiba-tiba bibi Belle menghilang tanpa jejak seperti ditelan bumi.Nah dari sinilah pembaca termasuk saya mulai tertarik untuk mengetahui kisah selanjutnya.Dimana sih sebenarnya bibi Belle Peter pergi? Semua orang di Coal Station,Virginia punya teori apa yang terjadi dengan Belle Prater,namun Woodrow (anak Belle)ingin mencari bukti.Setelah kejadian itu Woodrow pindah kerumah saudara perempuannya yaitu Gypsy yang kebetulan juga mengalami suatu kenyataan bahwa ayahnya meninggal.Woodrow mempunyai mata juling dan hal itu membuat dia sebagai bahan ejekan dan hal itu berbeda sekali dengan Gypsy yang mempuyai wajah cantik dan rambut indah.Meskipun Woodrow terlihat aneh namun dimata Gypsi ia adalah anak yang menyenangkan.Dan mereka melewati masa-masa sulit mereka dengan berbagai pengalaman yang menarik.Pada akhirnya kedua anak itu berani menghadapi kenyataan.Bibi Belle sengaja meninggalkan Woodrow seperti halnya Gypsi ditinggalkan ayahnya.Kepergian mereka bukan karena mereka tidak menyayangi anak-anaknya namun,karena mereka tidak tahan menderita.Mereka kurang sabar dalam menghadapi cobaan.Derita mereka lebih besar daripada cinta mereka.Selain kesemuanya itu yang menarik bagi saya,dalam novel ini Ruth White berpijak pada puisi Jalaludin Rumi abad ke-13.Puisinya-lah yang mendorong Belle Peter untuk meninggalkan rumah.Namun Ruth White kurang jeli atas argumen awalnya mengenai tak adanya jejak kaki bibi Belle yang tak berbekas. Padahal diceritakan kalau Belle Prater kabur di pagi hari mengenakan baju milik Woodrow yang kebesaran menuruni bukit Coal Station dan menumpang kereta karnaval. Wodroow tahu kalau hari itu ada karnaval yang berangkat ke kota. Bibi Belle juga mengambil tabungan Wodroow Prater yang sengaja disiapkannya untuk biaya operasi matanya.
What do You think about Belle Prater's Boy (1998)?
ESCAPING INVISIBILITYWhy does 12-year-old Gyspy suffer the same recurring nightmare? Why does her 12-year-old cousin, Woodrow, faithfully read the personal ads in the Sunday paper? In this delightful, swift-reading story of two kids in a Virginia coal town White explores the complexity of family dynamics. Presenting intricate social situations she examines the challenges whichpre-teens face in school and in the community at large. Capturing the attention and imagination of both teenage and adult readers alike she presents her story with wit, grace and compassion.An undercurrent of mystery is never far below the storyline, however, for the whole town was deeply disturbed when Bell Prater--the misnamed younger sister of Gypsy's mother--up and disappeared one October dawn in 1954, providing gossip and speculation for months. Will the kids ever learn--or figure out--the truth? Belle's only child was hard hit by this maternal loss; he finally comes to live with his grandparents next door to Gyspy's comparatively affluent home--which was almsot a shock after having been raised in physical and moral squalor.The cousins soon bond, but cruel remarks from a bratty boy and abitter older woman continue to torment grieving Woodrow. How can he survive such protracted social cruelty and psychological abuse? Belle's son uses great patience, his sense of humor, his disarming calmand stock of hilarious tall tales in order to cope. But Gypsy is still haunted by the sudden death of her real father 7 years earlier. Will she ever accept and appreciate her patient stepfather, her long golden hair or her father's loss? A truly enjoyable read with thoughtful undertones--sprinkled with references to Fifties TV and pop culture. (June 30, 2012. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)
—Gale
The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don't go back to sleep.You must ask for what you really want. Don't go back to sleep.People are going back and forth across the doorsill, where the two worlds touch.The door is round and open. Don't go back to sleep. -Jalal al-Din Rumi, 13th century I really like this story because it has so much to tell you in just one book. I learned lots of things which in some way, I have all thought and felt about before but I just couldn't put them into words. The story teaches us not to be too worldly and not to give importance on appearances. And also not to be impulsive. We all have our wants and desires in our life and we must plan carefully and pray for them to unfold well. The story taught me that even though a person lives in a beautiful, serene, big place, it cannot shield or protect the person who lived in them. Just like Woodrow, I have learned a beautiful place can't shelter you from hurt any more than a shack can. It was also in this book that I've first encountered lots of funny stories and jokes. It was a good way to soften the mood. A part of me still longs for Woodrow to find out what really happened to his mom.Book Read last July 27, 2010.
—jienna
از اون کتابا که وقتی تموم میشه هی با خودم فکر می کنم من شبیه کدوم از شخصیتهای داستانم؟ :)(view spoiler)[از متن کتاب:- تو از ته دل چی می خواهی، جیپسی؟- تا حالا هیچ وقت چیزی را که از ته دل می خواهم، به زبان نیاورده ام. اگر مامانم بشنود، سکته می کند. تازه، چه فایده دارد آدم چیزی را بخواهد که نمی تواند داشته باشد! من خیلی دلم می خواهد موهایم را کوتاهِ کوتاه کنم.- ولی چرا؟ موهایت خیلی قشنگ اند، هیچ کس موهایی به قشنگی موهای تو ندارد، جیپسی.- آره، همین طوره. راستی می خواهی بدانی چرا کسی را نمی بینی که موهایش تا کمرش باشد؟ چون خیلی دردسر دارد. همه ی کارم این شده که به موهایم برسم. دیگه حالم به هم می خورد!وودرو گفت: «اوه.»ادامه دادم: «اما همه اش این نیست. گاهی... گاهی احساس می کنم نامرئی هستم. انگار زیر این همه مو کسی نمی تواند مرا ببیند. آنها درباره ی موهایم حرف می زنند، اما شده هیچ وقت ببینند زیر این موها چیه؟ متوجه منظورم می شوی؟»وودرو گفت: «نه زیاد... .»- گاهی وقت ها می خواهم بگویم: «هی، یک آدم اینجاست!» ولی این حرف به نظر احمقانه می آید، حتی به نظر خودم. وودرو چیزی نگفت و من آه بلندی کشیدم. به گمانم نتوانسته بودم منظورم را درست توضیح بدهم.(صفحه 72) (hide spoiler)]
—M Razavy
