Summary:
Jewel's brother died on the day she was born. Because of this, she does not understand the feelings that are mixed up within her very superstitious Jamaican home. Both her grandfather and father believe in duppies, harmful spirits that are set to hurt the good people around them. Because grandpa gave Jewel's brother the nickname Bird and said one day Bird would fly, he believes that he summoned one of those dupies and caused Bird to jump off a cliff. This has caused grandpa to stop talking, completely. Jewel has grown up in a house of silence, but at 12 years old, she is trying to find a way to deal with the grief that so heavily surrounds her. She meets John, a boy in town. The two of them become friends and explore geology and space together. Unfortunately, the family does not trust John (which happens to be Bird's real name). They feel that John is another dupie that wants to hurt the family. How will Jewel be able to heal?
My thoughts:
While this is beautifully written, I found it to be difficult to read. There is a feeling of hopelessness that permeates through the majority of the story. The grief based upon the household beliefs is fierce. It's definitely hard to sit back and read through without wanting to interfere on Jewel's behalf. On the other hand, there are not a lot of extremely well written books on grief and dealing with grief. This book does an excellent job of that. Jewel never knew her brother, but the way that she is forced into this mourning lifestyle is a definite reminder to live for those that are still alive, but dealing with the grief that stays with a family is also important.
Jewel's brother died on the day she was born. Because of this, she does not understand the feelings that are mixed up within her very superstitious Jamaican home. Both her grandfather and father believe in duppies, harmful spirits that are set to hurt the good people around them. Because grandpa gave Jewel's brother the nickname Bird and said one day Bird would fly, he believes that he summoned one of those dupies and caused Bird to jump off a cliff. This has caused grandpa to stop talking, completely. Jewel has grown up in a house of silence, but at 12 years old, she is trying to find a way to deal with the grief that so heavily surrounds her. She meets John, a boy in town. The two of them become friends and explore geology and space together. Unfortunately, the family does not trust John (which happens to be Bird's real name). They feel that John is another dupie that wants to hurt the family. How will Jewel be able to heal?
My thoughts:
While this is beautifully written, I found it to be difficult to read. There is a feeling of hopelessness that permeates through the majority of the story. The grief based upon the household beliefs is fierce. It's definitely hard to sit back and read through without wanting to interfere on Jewel's behalf. On the other hand, there are not a lot of extremely well written books on grief and dealing with grief. This book does an excellent job of that. Jewel never knew her brother, but the way that she is forced into this mourning lifestyle is a definite reminder to live for those that are still alive, but dealing with the grief that stays with a family is also important.
