Keeper of the Night FROM OUR EDITORS
The Barnes & Noble Review
Kimberly Willis Holt, author of the National Book Award–winning When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, crafts a moving story of one girl's struggle to cope with her mother's suicide.
Told in short chapters through the narrator's words, Holt's tale takes us to modern-day Guam, where we see how Isabela and her family try to get on with their normal lives despite the tension that surrounds them. At first, Isabela is the "dutiful daughter," tending to her anguished family, but she slowly begins acting out herself, particularly when Mary Kelly -- a non-native from a wealthier family -- moves to the area and a potential romantic interest of Isabela's gravitates toward Mary instead. But when things slowly come to a head and Isabela's brother, Frank, winds up in the hospital after cutting himself, the family begins healing communication.
Holt weaves together a beautiful, sophisticated story that won't disappoint her loyal fans. As usual, the author is keenly attuned to people and their relationships, always remembering to keep young Isabela feeling the pain of difficult family situations but distant enough to focus on her own friendships and problems. Different from Holt's previous work -- especially with the atypical setting of Guam -- this tour de force is a novel not to miss. Shana Taylor
ANNOTATION
On the island of Guam, thirteen-year-old Isabel and her family try to cope with the suicide of Isabel's mother.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Isabel, a thirteen-year-old girl living on the island of Guam, and her family try to cope with the death of Isabel's mother who committed suicide.
FROM THE CRITICS
The New York Times
Given the subject matter, Keeper of the Night could easily have been a treacly coming-of-age novel. But Kimberly Willis Holt, who won a National Book Award for When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, has created an endearing, complicated narrator in Isabel; she manages to sound both lyrical and like the eighth grader she is. — Nora Krug
Publishers Weekly
Holt's (My Louisiana Sky; When Zachery Came to Town) evocative novel set in Guam traces the difficult months following the suicide of native girl Isabel's mother. Brief (half- to three-page) chapters capture the heroine's moods and memories as she takes on added responsibilities at home and struggles to reclaim a sense of normalcy. Isabel's narrative poetically conveys her observations about the changes in each of her family members since the tragedy. Her younger sister, Olivia, now has nightmares and wets the bed; her father, always a man of few words, becomes even more silent and distant than before ("He's the magic man, reinventing the disappearing act"). Isabel is most deeply affected by the alterations in her brother's behavior. Frank, who once "knew every knock-knock joke by heart," becomes "a stranger in the house," as he grows increasingly removed and self-destructive. Holt smoothly juxtaposes here-and-now segments with haunting recollections of Isabel's "sad and beautiful" mother, whose image starts to fade in the narrator's mind over time. The author works magic, recreating the sights, sounds and smells of Guam and encapsulating the essence of her characters through very few words. Readers drawn into Isabel's sadness will also share her surge of hope as she and family members begin the process of healing. Ages 12-up. (May) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Children's Literature - Leah Hanson
Isabel appears to be like every other teenager in her small town on the island of Guam. She has a pesky younger brother and sister, meddlesome aunts and a father who works all the time. But this story is about how she is very different from any other teenagerﾽher life has been turned upside down by her mother's suicide. Suddenly thrown into the position of caring for her younger siblings and trying to understand what has happened for herself, Isabel shares with readers her struggles and journey to accepting her circumstances. Told in snapshot-like chapters, Isabel reveals her story piece by piece. We see her interact with her tomboy best friend, grow to see her best guy friend in a new light, deal with the changes of adolescence, worry about her younger brother's reclusiveness and reach out to her grieving father. With the help of a caring psychologist and numerous family members and friends, Isabel comes to understand not only her mother, but also herself. Holt weaves a captivating growing-up tale together with the Polynesian culture in a way that will provide teen readers with both a window to another culture and a mirror of the challenges of adolescence. 2003, Henry Holt and Company,
VOYA - Sherry York
Thirteen-year-old Isabel, younger brother Frank, and little sister Olivia are all affected by their mother's suicide. First, their father makes them stay with Aunt Minerva on another part of Guam. For months the siblings try to carry on. Olivia wets the bed, and Isabel covers for her to avoid the wrath of their very religious aunt. When they return home, nothing seems the same. Their father sleeps on the floor where his wife died, refuses to let anyone sit in his wife's chair, and avoids his children. Isabel makes lists, worries, and tries to take care of everyone. Olivia keeps wetting the bed. Frank starts carving "I hate you" on the walls of his room. Their Auntie Bernadette, a healer and midwife, tries to help. Isabel is angry with her friend Roman and puzzled when her friend Teresita decides to run for fiesta queen. Isabel and her friends are starting to mature, and Isabel resents her mother for not being there. Frank progresses to carving on his body and eventually uses a razor blade, carving "I hat-" into his arm before losing consciousness. After Frank is hospitalized, the children begin seeing a counselor. Their father refuses counseling, but he and Isabel begin to communicate, and the family starts to heal. Holt, author of the award-winning My Louisiana Sky (Henry Holt, 1998/VOYA August 1998) and When Zachary Beaver Came to Town (1999/VOYA December 1999), integrates the exotic setting and realistic characters into an easily read yet complex story of a girl growing up, family problems, and suicide. VOYA Codes: 5Q 4P M J S (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; SeniorHigh, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2003, Henry Holt, 308p,
Alan Review
Keeper of the Night is set in Guam, and the beauty of this setting stands in contrast with its subject matter. The book opens with the suicide of Isabel's mother and traces the paths of Isabel and her family toward recovery. As the oldest daughter, Isabel assumes responsibility for her father, her brother, and her sister, and she watches helplessly as they each descend into their grief. Her father throws himself into his work, ignoring his children. Brother Frank's anger eventually leads to self-mutilation, and her younger sister, Olivia, suffers from nightmares. Kimberly Willis Holt skillfully weaves local legends and folklore into Isabel's story. In a series of very short chapters, we clearly see her frustration with her inability to help herself and her family. Perhaps best suited for middle-grade readers, Keeper of the Night is a gentle and compelling exploration of the effects of depression on one family. 2003, Henry Holt and Company, 308 pp. Ages young adult. Reviewer: F. Todd Goodson
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