Peter Lee’s Notes From the Field

Korean-Canadian Peter Lee is looking forward to his summer vacation, mostly because his parents have agreed that the family trip will involve a stop in Drumheller, Alberta, where the 10-year-old dinosaur fanatic will get to take part in a junior dig at the Royal Tyrrell Museum. Unfortunately, the car trip from Vancouver to Alberta is not pleasant: Peter, his younger sister L. B., his parents, and his grandparents are all traveling together in one van, and Hammy (his grandmother) is exhibiting troubling signs of dementia. Things get worse when Peter suffers an asthma attack (due to the extreme heat, dust, and dryness at the site), forcing him to leave the dig early and convincing him that he’s not cut out for paleontology. Then, later in the summer, Hammy is hurt in an automobile accident, prompting both grandparents to move in with the family and resulting in Peter and L. B.’s having to share a bedroom.

Ahn’s latest novel (see also Krista Kim-Bap) offers readers much local Vancouver colour and an endearing/annoying/believable family experiencing many changes. Science nerd Peter is insecure about his changing body, his basketball skills, his asthma, and dealing with a schoolyard bully. His brilliant sister L. B. is emotionally only eight-years-old and would much prefer to attend circus camp rather than participate in still another tutoring session with a university professor. Mom and Dad are way too invested in enriching their children’s educational experiences, as well as micro-managing Mom’s elderly parents; luckily some of that is mitigated through the actions of Peter’s grandparents, Hammy and Haji. What ultimately drives the story, however, is the solution to Hammy’s memory problems. Mom sees long term care as the only option, but Peter and L. B., with help from Haji, cleverly develop some workarounds that should keep Hammy at home, at least for a while longer. Illustrated with line drawings capturing Peter’s many doodles, Peter Lee’s Notes From the Field is a satisfying story that will strike a chord with many readers.