The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock is firmly set in a time (1970's) and place (Alaska), but it deals with universal experiences and emotions.  Debut author Hitchcock has crafted multiple teenage narrators, most of whom are appealingly innocent and naïve in regards to adult concerns and the hardships of poverty.

Ruth, Dora, Alyce and Hank each tell a portion of the story – of lost parents, abuse, thwarted dreams, and a desperate run for freedom. They are seeking love, a family, to follow a passion, and to find an identity, albeit in different ways. Their stories ebb and flow like the rivers in the fishing areas where much of the action takes place. As they grow and mature and begin to explore outside of themselves and their community, they have those eye-opening experiences whereby they learn that not everyone’s house/family is the same. Other people’s houses do, in fact, have different smells, different rituals, different values. I think the stories of these characters and their families and friends will intrigue teens, although the multiple narrators do add to the complexity of the story, making it somewhat difficult to follow at times.  Hitchcock pulls readers into these teens’ lives, draws out the potential consequences, and then (too?) neatly wraps up the suddenly intertwined events.

The Smell of Other People's Houses received starred reviews from Booklist and Voya and was called “an excellent debut” by School Library Journal.  I expect that it will be nominated for a number of state award lists and we will see much more from Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock.