Greetings from Nowhere

When you read more than one of an author’s books, there is the natural tendency to compare them and ask yourself which one is your favorite. In the case of Barbara O’Connor’s works, that’s an almost impossible question to answer. First, let me say if you don’t go out and get Wish as soon as it hits the stores this week, you are going to miss out on all the fun and excitement that’s exploding in the book world from this, her newest. Then, after falling in love with Wish, if you haven’t read her others, like How to Steal a Dog, The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis, or one of the fourteen others, get going. Most of all, do not miss Greetings from Nowhere where a heartfelt experience unfolds at a down on its heels motel in the Great Smokey Mountains. In addition to being everything you want from a middle grade book, the craftsmanship here is extraordinary. This book is a study in how to write multiple fraught points of view and bring them together in a memorable and gratifying ending.

I just finished reading Greetings from Nowhere. What a beautifully crafted story. If I could write, this is the story I would want to tell. The characters are so well-defined that the reader develops a close relationship with each one. I was sad when I reached the end. The story was over much too soon. I can't wait to share this book with my fifth graders. I know that they will feel my enthusiasm and will want to read it as well. Thank you, Ms. O'Connor. I am looking forward to reading your other books. I hope you will consider a sequel, so that I can learn what happens to Aggie, Willow, Loretta, and most of all, Kirby. I have known many Kirbys during my teaching career.

This is a great book to read with your child; its got lots of cute, funny, and heartwarming bits for everyone to enjoy. Many stories converge upon a little run-down motel in the Great Smoky Mountains, and it makes for a quick and interesting read. My daughter and I love reading Barbara O'Connor books together.

Aggie, the widowed owner of the Sleepytime Motel, can no longer keep her business afloat. When she finally decides that it’s time to let it go, she suddenly finds that her quaint little motel in the Great Smoky Mountains isn’t so sleepy after all. Before long, she meets she meets Willow, whose father wants to buy the motel, Kirby, who’s being dragged to reform school, and Loretta, who’s chasing memories of her biological mother. Can the children and their families find what they’re looking for in the ramshackle rooms and empty pool of the Sleepytime Motel? – We begin our tale with Aggie, who’s unable to keep up with the increasingly difficult challenges of running a motel. Although it’s clear that she loves the motel and the echoes of her life that haunt its empty rooms, the most logical choice is to sell it, and so that’s what she decides to do. Given that the loss of the motel in many ways mirrors the loss of her husband and the life they shared there, it’s understandable that Aggie soon gets cold feet. Willow, whose father sees the classified ad, is also no stranger to loss. After her mother leaves the state (and her husband and daughter), Willow’s father decides that buying the Sleepytime Motel might just be the ticket to fixing his broken heart. Willow’s broken heart, however, is not so easily fixed. Without the proper tools to deal with her abrupt loss, she’s left alone in her backyard to speak her mother’s name aloud like some tiny, defiant incantation. When her father buys the motel, however, Willow meets Aggie and realizes that she has the power to be strong in front of others. The second child to end up at the motel is Kirby, who at first is defined more by the contents of his pockets and his mother’s angry words than by his own internal narrative. When his mother’s car breaks down as she’s driving him to reform school, the motel becomes their home until his stepfather can send money to fix the car. As the story progresses, O’Connor grants us brief glimpses of Kirby’s self-awareness and his desire to be seen as more than just the “bad” child, but by the end of the tale, his story is the most unclear — what will his new school be like? Will his time at the motel help him open his heart and his pockets to others? Loretta, the third child and final narrator, has the least tumultuous tale. Loretta knows she’s loved by her parents, and while her journey is focused on retracing the steps of her biological mother, it’s not a trip borne of the desire to fill some gaping hole in her heart. She’s curious, gregarious, and generous, and given the overwhelming love showered upon her by her parents, it’s no wonder that she seems so well-adjusted in comparison to her peers. O’ Connor is no stranger to writing about loss, but it was fascinating to see the lengths to which she explored Aggie’s heartbreak, particularly given that Aggie is an adult narrator in a children’s book. While Aggie is physically (and sometimes mentally) removed from the bustling world out by the interstate, she is still able to forge an emotional connection to the kids because her way of thinking and speaking is so simplistic that it’s almost childish. She delights in simple things like Ugly, her cat, tomatoes, printed motel soap, and tiny horses made of china, which both endears her to the children at the motel and makes her an interesting character for young readers. I especially loved the bond between Aggie and Willow. While the loss of a spouse is a very different loss than that of a parent, the two are able to help each other grieve and continue working through their pain. In truth, all of the characters are beautifully written, even those whose backstories are glossed over, like the parents of Loretta and Kirby. The scenes where the children interact with one another are delightfully pure and accurate representations of how children behave in real life. The motel itself was another standout in this novel. It’s lovingly described in such detail that it’s hard to believe that it isn’t out there in the mountains right now, empty pool and all. This novel is short, and it tiptoes from chapter to chapter as delicately as Willow tiptoes around in her plastic shoes. There’s no sudden climax, no heartbreaking twist, but the characters and the location are clearly defined and powerful enough to drive the story. Willow eventually hears from her mother and convinces her father that Aggie and Ugly belong with them at the motel, Kirby realizes that he’s more than the narrative that his mother has created for him, and Loretta ends her journey early, at peace with what she’s found of her mother. The motel itself gets some TLC, and the implication is that the fresh paint and new sign will be enough to save it. The ending isn’t happy, exactly, but nor is it sad. It simply reads as a moment in time centered around a place that can change you, if only you’re willing to let it.

In Greetings from Nowhere by Barbara O'Connor, widow Agnes Duncan is going to have to sell the Sleepy Time Motel that she and her husband Harold used to run. Guests are not coming, and the place is falling apart. But just as she's about to the sign the papers, three families arrive, each with a troubled child. Loretta's biological mom has died and left her with a charm bracelet showing all the places she might have gone. Now Loretta's adoptive parents are taking her on a journey to discover those places. Kirby's mom is taking him to a military-style school, but her car died and she ran out of money before she got there. Meanwhile, Willow's mom Dorothy has left her and her father, Clyde, and her dad wants to start a new life by the buying the old motel. This is a light and beautiful tale, filled with love and perfect details that make a person feel good.

I have read several of Barbara O’Connor’s books to my step-daughter before bed. The stories have entertained us both, and we both can’t wait for each night to come so we can continue the story. So far the books we’ve read have dealt with “real life” problems, that are discussed in ways that kids can relate to. They have also included deep, thoughtful ways of thinking of those around us. Her writing style has us quickly invested in the life’s of the characters and there’s always a happy ending.

A beautifully written story. All the characters come alive. Makes me want to visit that motel. This book is for all ages.

I loved all the characters and really got to know them, this book was original, and amazing, overall one of my personal favorite.