Tuesdays with Ambrea: How the Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior

Reviewed by Ambrea

Veronica McCreedy has spent much of her golden years alone.  Unless you count her nosy housekeeper, she has no family, no friends, and no patience for anyone who wants to take up her very valuable time with frivolous conversation—and then, one day, she discovers she has a grandson named Patrick.  After a less-than-favorable first impression, Veronica decides she isn’t about to add Patrick to her will any time soon.  Instead, Veronica becomes enamored with penguins in Antarctica and, after watching a particularly fortuitous documentary about scientists on Locket Island, and decides she wants to leave her fortune to penguin studies.

There’s just one catch:  Veronica wants to see the penguins, first—and she won’t take no for an answer.

How the Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior is a nice, heart-warming book about second chances and making changes.  Although I was initially hooked by the cover—I mean, who can resist cute little penguins?—I quickly became absorbed by Veronica’s story.  Soon, I was diving into her tempestuous relationship with Patrick, reading about her painful past, and cheering her spontaneous (and rather impetuous) trip to Locket Island.

I fully expected to fall in love with the penguins—spoiler alert:  I did—but I didn’t think I would become as emotionally invested in Veronica as I was by the end of the story.  She’s a complete curmudgeon, sure, but she’s also kind of charming and, in a very roundabout way, she’s very sweet.  (She’s also a bit conniving, too, but all for the greater good.)

I suppose my one complaint about Prior’s novel is that it builds very slowly.  How the Penguins Saved Veronica often dips its toes into the past, moving back and forth in time, as Veronica slowly reveals her past to both the reader and her grandson.  While I understand this was a brilliant method of showing how Veronica was gradually opening herself up and letting her heart grow a little bigger, I was always impatient to get back to current events.

I was curious to learn about what happened to Veronica as a girl and I wanted to learn why she became the ways she was; however, I very much wanted to see how she would build a relationship with Patrick—would she be able to look past one very bad day?  Would she be willing to fully reach out, and would her grandson learn to forgive her?—and what her adventure on Locket Island would be like.

Overall, I enjoyed reading How the Penguins Saved Veronica.  It’s quick, easy read, despite its size at just over 350 pages, and it’s the perfect thing to read on a chilly, rainy day or a cold, snowy afternoon.

BPL Book Club Reviews Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns

Reported by Lauren

                This month, the BPL Book Club discussed Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns. Told from the perspective of fourteen-year-old Will Tweedy, Burns’ novel tells the story of Will and his relationships with his family and friends, most especially his close relationship with his grandpa Rucker who has scandalized their small town of Cold Sassy, Georgia, by marrying the milliner at his general store, the beautiful “Yankee” Miss Love Simpson, only three weeks after Will’s grandma dies. Miss Love happens to be MUCH younger and the prettiest girl in town, and Will’s mother and aunt are furious, not just because they’re in mourning, but also because Miss Love’s presence threatens their inheritance. First Will, and then the rest of the family, eventually come to appreciate Miss Love’s role in Rucker’s life, but not before many hijinks ensue. Cold Sassy itself is at a turning point, caught between its traditional Confederate farmer roots and the rise of industrialized travel and commerce by railroad and automobile. Grandpa becomes a symbol of old made new again (just like the town), and Will watches through innocent eyes as his town, his family, and his own life are changed forever.

                Our Book Club discussion started off with an examination of Will Tweedy and Grandpa’s characters. Will is considered the protagonist, but we decided that Grandpa Rucker is really the driving force of the novel. Several members could see a family resemblance in Burns’ portrayal of Grandpa Rucker as an old Southern man, stubborn and hard-headed, but with a good heart and a mischievous sense of humor. We also enjoyed watching Will grow and mature, and learn life various lessons right alongside his grandfather.

                We next discussed the portrayal of small town gossip, “keeping up appearances,” and traditional death rites. The death of Will’s grandmother sets the story in motion, and it was interesting to see how small southern towns take their grieving so seriously. The family mourns for months, and the entire town attends the “settin’ up” and burial. Rucker’s quick marriage to Love is considered an unforgiveable transgression. Rumors of Rucker’s possible infidelity abound, and the couple is shunned from church and other social gatherings. This bothers Miss Love, but not Rucker! He enjoys the attention, and delights in pointing out the hypocrisy of his fellow “Christians.”

                Overall, we found this book to be a sweet, funny, and endearing portrait of small-town Southern life. The writing style was a little hard to read at times, as Burns is heavy-handed with the Southern dialect, but hearing it read aloud made it much easier to follow. Some commented that they wished Burns had gone a little deeper into the various issues Will encounters, like racism, classism, infidelity, and suicide, but others thought the “skimming over” of the serious parts added to the novel’s charm. The fact that Will is young and doesn’t quite understand how serious these issues are actually gives them more weight. We ended our discussion by saying that while this was no To Kill a Mockingbird, it was entertaining and authentic without going too deep. 4 out of 5 stars!

                Join us next month, August 15 at 6:30 as we discuss Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. All are welcome!