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CM . . . .
Volume V Number 15 . . . . March 26, 1999
In Janey's Choice, Bernice Hunter Thurman has given readers a
sequel to Amy's Promise, her 1995 award-winning book about the
Phair family. Set in 1931, Janey's Choice tells the story of Janey,
youngest member of the Phair clan, who was sent to Winnipeg after her
mother's death to spend the first eight years of her life in the care of
Aunt Bessie and Uncle Wallace. Janey has been back in Toronto for three
years, living in the purple house with her father, Gramma, sister Amy and
three older brothers, yet she often feels homesick for the Vine Cottage in
Winnipeg. When an invitation comes for her to spend the summer holiday
with her newly widowed "Papa" Wallace, she begs her father to allow Amy to
go with her. Unfortunately, Amy is needed at home to keep house and take
care of her ailing grandmother, and so Janey must make do with her brother
Harry, who, at twelve, can still travel on the train for half-fare. Harry
and Papa Wallace form an immediate bond, and when, in the middle of their
visit, news comes that Gramma has died, Janey decides she must return to
Toronto to be with Amy who, in her father's words, "...has been hard hit
by the loss of her grandmother." Leaving Harry in Winnipeg, Janey returns
to Toronto with her beloved marmalade cat, "Purry-Motor," to find that
there have been some changes at home. Amy seems grouchy and out of sorts,
the boys are becoming rude and disobedient, and Janey's father is courting
an attractive widow.
How Janey deals with her difficult family, (in particular her father, who
is bad-tempered, impatient and given to preferential treatment of his
children), by balancing loyalty to her sister against her family's need
for a new mother, provides the major conflict in this story.
Thurman's pace is unhurried, and her prose simple; however, her ability to
select and describe vivid details, (perhaps from childhood memories),
enables her to show, rather than tell, her readers about life in the
1930's. Although the novel has charm for an adult reader, (particularly
those born early enough to feel nostalgia for the era she depicts), the
gentle pace of the novel, so unlike the taut page-turners that line young
adult shelves, and the 1930's setting may deter younger readers from
persevering with the book. Fans of other Thurman novels, such as the
"Booky" trilogy and especially those who were gripped by the poignant
story of Amy's Promise will not be disappointed by Janey's
Choice.
Recommended.
Valerie Nielsen is a recently retired teacher-librarian who lives in
Winnipeg, MB.
To comment on this
title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.
Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association.
Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice
is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without
permission.
Published by
TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - MARCH 26,
1999.
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