15-year old Zeeta’s life with her free-spirited mother, Layla, is anything but normal. Every year Layla picks another country she wants to live in – this summer they’re in Ecuador, while Zeeta longs for a “normal” life in the American suburbs. Zeeta makes friends with vendors at the town market and begs them to think of upstanding, “normal” men to set up with Layla. There, Zeeta meets Wendell who was born nearby, but adopted by an American family. His one wish is to find his birth parents, and Zeeta agrees to help him. Their quest takes them to an idealized indigenous village, through jungles, crystal caves, and exotic gardens. As their adventures bring them closer to fulfilling their wishes – and to danger – it also brings them closer together and to finding out what they really want.
The Indigo Notebook (Random House, October 2009) is charming, picturesque and thought-provoking. Zeeta’s life is every bored teen’s dream – a cool, free-spirited mom who’s more like a sister, exotic locals, no regular school, rules, or curfew – but since that’s what’s forced on Zeeta, she naturally wishes for the exact opposite of what she has. Wendell’s story resonates with the longing and anger that comes from not knowing his birth parents and the reasons why they gave him up, and the void this causes in his understanding of who he is. Laura Resau’s captivating prose, vivid descriptions and character development engage the reader from the first page and her story-telling skill remains adept throughout. By the time the story ends, Zeeta, Wendell, and also the reader, have realized things they didn’t know at the beginning of the story, and that’s the real definition of a happy ending.
- Posted by Cori
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