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Later in the day, Sheldon went to Chante, Nebraska’s annual Pancake carnival and met a woman named Loretta, who was a seer/psychic. Sheldon filled his friend in on what happened during his session with the medium. He noticed that there seemed to be a connection between the seer and one of the items that was found in the box. Sheldon’s friends did not believe the psychic told Sheldon the truth, but they agreed that there seemed to be a link between the box and fortune-teller. The friends decided to create a lie to find the truth about the seer — this decision would forever change Sheldon’s life.
This book was not predictable. Readers will understand that events that happen to Sheldon will impact his life, but it is not immediately apparent how his summer experience will change him. Readers will be intrigued by the surprising plot twist, which became evident when Sheldon lied to the fortune –teller.
The writing style of author is straightforward, and Tish used a few beautifully embellished sentences to enhance the story. This writing technique allows readers who are familiar with the Missouri river, to visualize the setting the characters inhabited.
Anyone who reads the book won’t have any trouble getting to know Sheldon. The detailed information about his personality and home life made it easy to empathize with the struggles he faced as an 11 year old. The other main characters in the story were also well developed. Bull, Jimmy and Tabby all had their own distinct traits and back stories. They came across as precocious children who were resourceful and determined to achieve their goals. The children were cooperative, loyal, curious, and headstrong although some of these qualities got them into trouble.
The major themes in Madame-Charmaine mainly focused on the issues of friendship and lying. The topic of friendship also came across well as Sheldon interacted with his friends and information was revealed about them. Tish dealt with the subject of dishonesty through the children’s interaction with the adults. Sheldon’s struggle with the truth came across well when he interacted with his mother. His struggle was also very apparent when he had to make a decision about whether the psychic told him the truth and confusion about truth was also evident when the children used the fortune-teller’s name.
There were a few minor themes that touched on the issues of working together, and the importance of a stable family environment. The major and minor themes went well together. The major theme of truth complemented the minor theme of the importance of teamwork. This was apparent when the children came up with a plan to move the “treasure box” and tried to figure out how the box was linked to the psychic.
The theme of friendship complemented the minor theme of family stability. This was shown through Sheldon’s friendship with Jimmy. The background information given about Jimmy, brought attention to the challenges some children face due to their home environment. The topic of family roots was also examined when two of the children spoke with one of employees at the Pancake festival.
I give Madame-Charmaine 3 out of 4 stars. This book was easy to read, but a few things interrupted the flow of the story. There were a few awkward sentences, and at times the author seemed to stray from the story line. For example: the author gave detailed information about the origin of the word “paleface.” There was also information or “gossip” about some of the minor characters that really did not seem to enhance the story.
After the arc of the story, the author excluded dialogue between Sheldon and a character that had a great influence over Sheldon’s future. The missing information may cause some readers to wonder about the details of this relationship. Madame-Charmaine ends on a positive note, but the use of the third person perspective toward the end of the book, made it seem as if the author rushed to finish the story.
What is really great about this book is that it sheds light on the reason why children sometimes have a difficult time with telling the truth. This thought provoking issue was methodically addressed through the main messages in the story: You are a true friend when you are honest with yourself and your friends; when you tell the truth it may allow you to experience a new adventure and you might learn about yourself; assumptions are not always true; and one should tell the truth because lying can get a person into a lot of trouble.
Madame-Charmaine may appeal to parents who want to start a dialogue with their children about friendship and dishonesty. People who were around Sheldon’s age in 1961, and grew up in a small town or lived near the Missouri river during this time period, might get a kick out of reading this story. The tale may evoke fond memories of childhood for some readers, and it is more than likely that fans of coming of age stories will enjoy reading this book.
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