East Coast Prowl

Hear of "the bee's knees" and the "cat's meow?" Well, the "cat's pajamas" is also related to the jazz era and similarly refers to something unusual and sought after. In the case of Marie-Helene Bertino's new book, 2am at the Cat's Pajamas, it specifically refers to a nightclub which has seen better days and happier times. To me, the entire book had kind of that melancholy feel and although it was extremely well-written, there were SO many characters and story lines that I found it difficult to keep them all straight.  The youngest person is Madeleine and yes, she is essentially an orphan, who smiles at the good, frowns at the bad and sometimes is very sad ...

Living and breathing bebop in Philadelphia, nine-year old Madeleine's life intertwines with Mrs. Santiago who owns a dog named Pedro (one of the more memorable secondary characters), with a teacher named Sarina Greene who still has a crush on her former high school boyfriend named Ben, and with the owner (Jack Lorca) and musicians (The Cubanistas, plus Lorca's son Alex) from the Cat's Pajamas.  All are lonely and "mis-connected" as Bertino attempts to weave the stories together over a 24 hour period.  It's confusing with plenty of activity, an antique guitar, and even some magical realism occurring on Christmas Eve Eve.

If you do not have the patience or inclination to unravel 2am at the Cat's Pajamas which will be published in early August, I would instead HIGHLY recommend Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt.

Tell the Wolves I'm Home is an outstanding book -- another debut novel with a young girl (14 year-old June) and art (painting, not music, this time) at its center. Set in 1980s New York, the story focuses on the aftermath of Uncle Finn's death from AIDS.  A New York Times bestseller, Tell the Wolves I'm Home has won numerous awards, including the Alex Award, and was recommended to me by two young people. Like them, I found June's efforts to come to terms with her Uncle's death to be extremely moving. Brunt profiles a range of emotions as June struggles with her other family relationships, especially with an older sister. June truly begins to develop her own independence while learning more about her uncle's life and the ability to "see" him through others. Tell the Wolves I'm Home will capture your attention – it's an emotional, engaging read and is certainly hard to forget. I wish that I had found it sooner and can readily see this novel being used for Junior Theme by students who want to write more about AIDS and society's reactions - both compassionate and ignorant - to that disease.