From the ARC I read in early June:

“Now, for the first time ever, Kate DiCamillo is returning to the world of a previous novel to tell us more about a character who her fans already know and love. Louisiana’s Way Home picks up two years after the events of National Book Award Finalist Raymie NIghtingale to unravel the story of Raymie’s friend and beloved ranchero, Louisiana Elefante. . . . Readers will also love the opportunity to spend more time with Louisiana as she uncovers difficult truths about her past—and makes choices that will determine her future.”

To be honest, I didn’t actually care for Raymie Nightingale that much; I found it a little too cute. And this one is chockfull of precious and cute, too. But, contrary reader that I am, I loved it, especially the voice and personality of Louisiana Elefante, who finds herself taken against her will from her Florida home and friends, headed for Georgia with her unstable, cursed Granny. And things only get worse as Granny becomes more and more undependable, and Louisiana must fend for herself—even as she finds that her entire past history and identity have been based on a lie.

There is truth here about making good choices and finding a way to forgive the unforgivable. Louisiana is poorly taught, but adorable nonetheless. There are instances of stealing, lying, and other bad behavior that go uncorrected, for the most part, but that lack of correction felt true to the story. And author Kate DiCamillo stays true to the voice and thought life of her narrator, Louisiana, even when those thoughts are uncomfortable for readers, and especially when adult characters (by extension, readers) are being judged for their lack of compassion and kindness.

Of course, some of the adults in the story are good guys. As Louisiana says, “There is goodness in many hearts. In most hearts.” In Louisiana’s story, several people show up to help out: the pastor of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, a mother and baker named Betty Allen, three generations of Burke Allens, and others. Nevertheless, it is Louisiana herself who must decide who she is and how she is going to handle the dissolution of her past history and the abandonment that has happened to her both in the past and in the present.

The book deals with some hard things, “terrible things,” according to Pastor Obertask. But the abandonment, lies and neglect that Louisiana experiences are tempered by the kindness of strangers and met by Louisiana’s own strength and gumption. While Louisiana’s problems are not minimized, they are met with hope, and some righteous anger. Author Kate DiCamillo, out of her vast experience of writing for children, strikes just the right balance in tone between wretchedness and optimism, leaving plenty of room for faith in Louisiana’s future.

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This book may be nominated for a Cybils Award, but the views expressed here are strictly my own and do not reflect or determine the judging panel’s opinions.