On the HahaFiction shelf
The Book of Polly
by Kathy Hepinstall
Willow Havens is ten and already afraid of outliving her mother. Polly had her in her late fifties and has little patience for the expectations of their Texas neighbors. As Willow grows up, she tries to keep Polly safe and pry open the Louisiana past her mother refuses to discuss.
From the publisher’s blurb
“a great blend of humor and sadness, pathos and hilarity”Read the full description at Penguin Books
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What makes it funny?
Polly applies the same aggression to family advice that she brings to garden pests. When her son considers online dating, she sketches a profile around his drinking, unemployment and resentment of women. Her children rarely get the comforting answer they were hoping for.
The comedy at work
Willow worries about every threat to her mother; Polly keeps answering with blunt defiance. Their arguments let a child’s need for reassurance run up against a parent who refuses to soften her language or her judgments.
Try this if…
Readers drawn to Southern family stories with sharp domestic exchanges may enjoy following Willow from childhood into adolescence. The affection matters as much as Polly’s ability to cut someone down.
Good to know
Cancer and the fear of losing a parent carry real weight here. Smoking and grief are part of the story, and the warmth comes with sadness.
More funny coming of age
Sources & further reading
- Kirkus review
Review
- Publisher
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