Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

I picked up this book solely because of the title and I was even more sold when I saw it was short stories. Once I started reading it I was excited when I realized that all the stories are interconnected in one way or another. Living in a small town can be stifling - it's all you've ever known, it's hard to imagine life elsewhere, and you are forever defined by the worst thing that ever happened to you. From wildfires, to cheating boyfriends, to invisible friends, to basketball, to gum show more wrappers and suspect priests - this book covers a variety of issues that plague teens in small Colorado towns, in Alaska, and on the coast. Compelling, dark, and yet ultimately uplifting and emotional - I was very impressed with this short story collection. show less

“Sometimes you can be inserted into another person's life just by witnessing something you were never really supposed to be a part of.”

The Smell of Other People’s Houses is such a painfully open story that I feel like I can’t even critique it, I just have let it into my heart to shape and change me - making me a better person for having read it. I was either on the verge of tears or surrounded by this familiar warmth. Set against 1970s Alaska, this story comes to life in the quiet show more and honest moments in four teens lives. In how they interact with each other, their town, and their truths. There was such an earnestness and groundedness to the story that gave this heavy weight that was both comforting and oppressing. It made everything feel so much bigger and impactful, but never manipulative or forced.

Some of the characters kinda blended together in the beginning of the story. It really wasn’t a big issue, because after a few chapters the characters become more clearly distinct. And the audiobook had a full cast so that was helpful as well. The Smell of Other People’s Houses is a true slice-of-life story. I wouldn’t really say there’s a plot, but it’s a truly wonderful example of a character driven story that is both raw and realistic. A true highlight of the year. show less

I thought that the title reflected the book. That you just caught a wisp of each character, a single smell that you couldn't really place in context. And that when you reached the end of the book, you could at least begin to name people, you could see what made up one part of their identity. Ditto Alaska.
I definitely loved the text and the imagery. It contains some titbits of magic realism, that feels not so far from the possibilities of chance and our natural world.
I couldn't find a copy of show more the poem that was referenced, "If you cut me open". I liked the idea of a stone skipping, making ripples/waves of jealousy underneath someone's skin. show less

I thoroughly enjoyed The Smell of Other People's Houses (as well as chatting about the title with kids walking into the library). In a nutshell, Hitchcock portrays the harsh realities and frank beauties of Alaska, deftly weaving together the lives of four adolescent narrators. It's a spider's web that manages to be lovely rather than cliché, and makes me want to explore the North.