Title: The Mud Girl
Author: Alison Acheson
Publish Date: October 2006
Publisher: Coteau Books
Pages: 328pp
IBSN: 1550503545
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Annotation: Aba Zytka Jones—Abi—doesn’t expect anything from anyone. Her mother has abandoned her and her father, whom remains in his chair. She doesn’t have much, but she wants to figure out her life on her own.
Plot Summary: Aba Zytka Jones (Abi), sixteen, has a long summer ahead of her. Her mother has left and her father remains sitting in his chair, leaving her with several responsibilities to shoulder. With a burning need to figure out her life, Abi has numerous questions. A woman from the Big Sister organization, Ernestine, attempts to befriend her. The cute guy from the paint shop, Jude, becomes her boyfriend. And a girl named Amanda offers offers her a summer job cleaning houses. When Abi discovers that Jude has a son, Dyl, who’s mother has taken off (mirroring her own sistuation), she has is faced with her past pain and forced to deal with her issues by taking care of Dyl.
Personal Response: A poignant story about a girl who was abandoned by her mother and whose father is somewhat useless. The novel is slow-moving with beautiful descriptions of the land, in which play a potent counterpart to the symbolism of Abi’s, the protagonist, pain.
~Reader’s Advisory~
Themes: Identity, finding out who you are and what you want in life. Uncovering the past pains of your life by helping another in need.
Age Range: 12 and up
Subjects: Identity, Abandonment, Adult Responsibilities, Relationships, Love, Dysfunctional Family, Outreach, Coming of Age, Realistic Fiction
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