A Seaon of Gifts

Booksellers and librarians will line up behind Richard Peck’s A Season of Gifts, but I found it lacking, and I’d be surprised if his target audience of middle graders picks it up in such large numbers. Peck returns to the ‘50s Illinois he’s explored before in A Year Down Yonder and A Long Way From Chicago. It’s full of bullies and secrets and the small-minded, but at its heart is Grandma Dowdel, a domineering, secretly generous old woman. This time, we see the unnamed town through the eyes of Bob, 10, the son of the new Methodist minister and a prime target for the town’s tough guys. Grandma Dowdel’s machinations establish the church, put Bob on a track toward some backbone, and rescue Bob’s oldest sister from the charms of the book’s no-good draft dodger. The plot moves quickly, but narrator Bob either fails to understand or leaves unsaid much of what he sees. Being stuck in his head for all the excitement is like watching a movie through a straw. As in all of Richard Peck’s books, the language is beautiful and the end satisfying, but I wanted more from this story.

Fear Factor: (Nothing scary, but the draft dodger gets a town girl pregnant, resulting in a shotgun wedding.)
Heart: (The heart in this was a little obvious for me, but I enjoyed watching characters other than Bob begin to see Mrs. Dowdel for who she was.)
Attitude: (Other than Bob’s family, Mrs. Dowdel and a few other old women, this town seems to harbor nothing but attitude.)
Psst: Peck’s other books have more fire, but this one reminded me irresistibly of Jan Karon’s Mitford series.
If you like this: Try Jerry Spinelli’s Stargirl for a young boy narrator who sees a little farther than his own nose.

KJ Dell'Antonia Former Manhattan lawyer and prosecutor, parent of four. Lover of books and bacon.

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