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Wilhelmina Hart is part of the infamous class of 2020. Her high school years began with a shocking presidential election and ended with a pandemic. In the midst of this global turmoil, she also lost one of her beloved aunts, a loss she still feels keenly. Having deferred college, Wilhelmina now lives in a limbo she can see no way out of, like so many of her peers. Wilhelmina’s personal darkness would be unbearable (especially with another monumental election looming) but for the inexplicable and seemingly magical clues that have begun to intrude on her life—flashes of bizarre, ecstatic whimsy that seem to add up to a message she can’t quite grasp. But something tells her she should follow their lead. Maybe a trail of elephants, birds, angels, and stale doughnuts will lead Wilhelmina to a door?
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
June 11, 2024 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780593864586
- File size: 374823 KB
- Duration: 13:00:52
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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March 25, 2024
Cashore (Seasparrow) examines themes of grief informed by the 2020 presidential election and the Covid-19 pandemic via a speculative narrative in this intimate read. High school graduate Wilhelmina Hart was raised by her aunts Margaret, Frankie, and Esther. Following Aunt Frankie’s death, Wilhelmina begins seeing bizarre visions that all seem to know her name and prophesize events before they occur. She soon realizes that she’s not the only one—her attractive friend James Fang, whose family owns a doughnut shop, is experiencing otherworldly events, too. As the 2020 presidential election draws near, Wilhelmina struggles to make sense of this new and strange magic and must come to terms with Aunt Frankie’s death if she hopes to find some peace amid tumultuous happenings. Via vulnerable and sensate third-person prose and chapters that move back and forth in time throughout the year, Cashore quilts together small, everyday moments that center family and healing. Though the punctuated nature of certain interactions can sometimes foster disconnection between the characters’ lives and relationships, distancing them from the reader, it all culminates in a nimbly braided slice-of-life tale. Wilhelmina reads as white; James is of Italian and Chinese descent. Ages 12–up. -
Kristin Cashore, known for creating fantastical worlds, takes listeners into a very real 2020. Jorjeana Marie makes it even more authentic by depicting the many emotions of young Wilhelmina Hart, as well those of minor characters. Marie's portrayals anchor listeners as the story moves back and forth in time between Wilhelmina's childhood with three vividly described aunts and her present-day woes: the pandemic, election fears, and the shifting friendships of teens. Cashore's slow-paced writing style reflects the painful sluggishness of the pandemic time period and its atmosphere of grief. Marie explores Wilhelmina's relationship with her beloved Aunt Frankie, honoring the author's precise prose. In an upbeat author's note, Cashore compares her own experience to Wilhelmina's, leaving listeners room to explore the characters and story anew. S.W. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
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