Share This Review
At the start of the story Heidi is at the beginning of her junior high year. She is attending a new school with a new hierarchy. On top of that, her brother Dan, has joined the football team and is no longer available to ride the bus with her or hang out after school. Her only companion is her elderly neighbor Viola and Viola’s niece Jenny. With little to do after school than help Viola with yard work and wait for Jenny’s occasional visits, Heidi is forced to experience a new way of life that is more out of necessity than preference. As Heidi deals with these changes, she and her family are abruptly displaced by a fire which destroys their home.
When Heidi and her family are forced to move over to Strong Street while their home is being rebuilt Heidi is reluctant to go. Her entire life has centered on her familiar home and neighborhood. The new house is drafty and old. All of her belongings are gone and Heidi is forced to deal with new feelings that she can’t exactly express. As fortune would have it, Heidi meets Dorothy one day on the way home from school. Though they have their ups and downs, the two become fast friends and have fun together after school and on weekends.
As I read the book there were times where I wished the author would have delved deeper into a problem or a situation. There are times when Heidi or Dorothy eluded to some deeper feelings that the author glossed over without allowing the characters to fully express themselves. In other areas there are things that happened that didn't seem well connected. For instance, the incidents with Tom didn't really seem fleshed out. Other than the conversation between the family members there was no real reason given as to why the things happened or what the result was.
The Stable House is the first of three novels by writer Laura Smith. In this book it appears as though she is trying to give voice to an 11 year olds' feelings and experiences but it comes across as though she is an adult telling a story like she thinks an 11 year old would. Each chapter is written like a run-down of a series of events and there isn't a lot of imagery injected into the scenes. When the book is over, it is just over. There is no fairy-tale or touching conclusion and nothing that sums up all that has occurred to Heidi and her family. After such a long story I was hoping for more at the end. For these reasons I have to rate this book 2 out of 4 stars.
***
Buy "The Stable House" on Amazon
