Lucie Babbidge's House

As an adult, I prefer this to Behind The Attic Wall; both are lonesome and sad and eerie, but Lucie and her house are somethin' else.

Cassedy is brilliant. Brilliant. The scope and heft of her writing ... I can't articulate it. The children in Lucy's school have names and personalities, sometimes; but again and again they act as a pack, names and differences falling away in a gaggle of speech that runs down the page without any attempt at differentiation. The little differences come out and recede again. Storks and Cranes. Emily and, most strongly, Claire. The adults walk around making noises and being difficult, but the real life goes on below their notice. And Lucie's life goes on below anyone's notice ...

What is real and what is show more imaginary meld together, as they do, and Cassedy says: It doesn't matter. You can lose your house and your family and your entire life, and still what's in you can rise to the top like a bean sprouting in a cup. If you want. You can return to the dark closet. You can spend your time in the circle of light writing a letter to the world or you can spend it collecting the sun in a jar to use later. You can go mad, if you want. It is all right. It is allowed. It is your choice, yours alone.

I don't know of any other book (much less, a children's book!) which sets up the rules and knocks them down so completely and with so little judgement. Oh, Sylvia Cassedy. What happened to you? Where the fuck did you go? show less

My review will seem spoilery to you - and skip it if you are concerned - but if you are so concerned, I advise you skip all reviews, as this is a difficult book to talk about without giving away some of the effect.

Unfortunate covers - it's not a ghost story, as the Avon Camelot implies, nor is it as boring as my edition implies. There's nothing magical or paranormal in the story at all. But the writing is magical. The way we learn Lucie's story, peeling back the layers of imagination that she's cloaked herself in, is enchanting. And the end - well, I was running out of pages and wondering how on earth Cassedy would bring the story to a close and then Bang! there it was and it's perfect.

So, what cover would work? Maybe a little china show more doll writing a (too big for her) letter? Maybe just an envelope addressed to Lucie? Maybe a creative juxtaposition of the beach and Norwood Hall? I don't think there should be any people, or the dollhouse.

Anyway, I also like how Cassedy very subtly enables us to realize that Miss Pimm and the other girls are to be pitied - in a way, despite how mean they are to Lucie, they are even more miserable.

And I think I'll have to re-read [b:Behind the Attic Wall|831842|Behind the Attic Wall |Sylvia Cassedy|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178748078s/831842.jpg|817492]. show less

Very creative! I enjoyed the twists and turns. I'm still puzzling over parts of it. I really felt for the poor little girl. I think this would be great for a discussion group.

Lonely and unhappy Lucie is bullied at school and struggles to fit in. The arrival of a new baby brings some happiness to Lucie, and when she receives some letters from a girl in England, a mystery begins to unfold as Lucy realizes their lives are connected.