Judy Blundell, author of several books under pen names, chose What I Saw and How I Lied as the first which she would use her own name. It won the National Book Award. I strongly suspect -- or hope -- because of the subtle societal issues and the psychological transformation of the main character.
To me, the book isn't about the scandalous parts (though there are plenty), but how the protagonist Evelyn "Evie" Spooner processes all the information surrounding her. This is a book about how Evie, with her eyes now open to the lies around her, puts the pieces together despite the adults in her family treating her like a child. She knows what it looks like and how it looks bad, even she cannot deny that. She admits to herself that she doesn't know what kind of people her parents are or what they are capable of doing.
Her testimony during her parents' trial also does something else -- it places her parents in debt to her. They were always scared that she'd tell the truth but in telling the lie to get her parents off, it reveals that she had an understanding of the events surrounding her parents. This is how little Evie Spooner grew up -- not from the unfulfilled relationship with Peter Coleridge but by processing the very grown-up situation and making decisions the would change her and her family. She no longer sees her parents as her parents, but as deeply flawed people that she no longer aspires to be.
I appreciated Blundell's attention to detail regardining anti-Semitism still prevalent in America after the War. The Graysons -- discovered to be Jews due to his mother Mrs. Garfinkle calling the hotel in Palm Beach where Jews are very unwelcome -- and Ruthie Kalman -- the Jewish girl who is seen early in the book with Evie's school crush and the target of Margie's bullying -- are two examples of anti-Semitism that Evie experiences first hand. The experience in Florida has opened Evie's eyes to the injustices of it and she makes a conscious effort to not take part. She had developed a closeness to Mrs. Grayson while in Florida and contacts her again when she returned to New York. The ending also hints at a budding friendship with Ruthie. She may not have brought justice to Peter during the trial, but she tries to separate herself from anti-Semitic acts.
I further reviewed What I Saw and How I Lied on goodreads.com.
1 comment:
To Kati:
I agree with your assement of this book. The plot is a great motivator in turning to the next page and in fact growing with Evie. Being past our teenage years, we are able to look back and remember if we have gone through simliar trails and test of our loyalty and strength to friends or in this case family. Furthermore, Blundell offered me both a historical account and reference to the silent hatred that existed in the 40's as well as a hopeful spark of unity with the hint of Ruthie and E vie becoming friends. I never knew nor understood what anti-Semitism was and how much it had and has a foot hold in our country. If I were a teenager reading this book I would be motivated to find out what it was like to be a Jew in the 40's and if the expereince of being a Jew is the same today?
Great Response!
~KimC.
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