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Bound With These Titles
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Summary
Summary
"Heart-twisting and hopeful, bursting with big feelings and gentle magic." -- Jessica Townsend, New York Times bestselling author of the Nevermoor series
A moving coming-of-age story about one girl's bravery and imagination in the face of the unknown. Perfect for fans of Front Desk and Mañanaland.
Meixing Lim and her family have arrived at the New House in the New Land. Her parents inherited the home from First Uncle who died tragically and unexpectedly while picking oranges in the backyard. Her mama likes to remind Meixing the family never could have afforded to move here otherwise, so she should be thankful for this opportunity.
Everything is vast and unknown to Meixing in this supposedly wonderful place. She is embarrassed by her secondhand clothing, has trouble understanding her peers, and is finding it hard to make new friends. Meixing's only solace is a rundown greenhouse, that her uncle called his glasshouse , at the far end of her backyard that inexplicably holds the sun and the moon and the secrets of her memory and imagination.
When her fragile universe is rocked by tragedy, it will take all of Meixing's resilience and bravery to finally find her place of belonging in this new world.
Author Notes
Shirley Marr is the author of Little Jiang , Fury , Preloved , A Glasshouse of Stars , All Four Quarters of the Moon , and Countdown to Yesterday . Shirley lives in Perth, Australia, with her family. Learn more at ShirleyMarr.net.
Reviews (4)
Bookseller Publisher Review
Meixing and her family have recently arrived in the New Land with hopes of a better life. Everything is different for Meixing, including the large house that is now the family home. At school she finds it difficult to understand the language, is embarrassed by her hand-me-down clothes and struggles to navigate playground politics. A glasshouse in her backyard that seems to hold a world of wonder and magic is her only escape. After the tragic death of her father, it is Meixing who must gather all her courage in order to navigate this New Land on behalf of her pregnant mother and take the first steps to finding her voice. This is a beautiful and melancholy novel that uses magical realism to explore experiences of racism, belonging, bereavement and mental illness. The unusual second-person perspective may feel unfamiliar at first but allows the younger reader to experience what is ultimately a very sad story from a place of emotional safety. This perspective provides a distancing effect: rather than feeling as though they are in the midst of events, the reader is able to somewhat disassociate from the trauma Meixing experiences. A Glasshouse of Stars feels deeply personal but offers readers hope within the magical walls of the glasshouse, where Meixing finds solace. This novel is highly recommended for thoughtful readers in middle to upper primary. Erin Wamala has previously worked in publishing and is currently both a practising teacher librarian and the owner of The Kids' Bookshop. She has just completed her tenure as a CBCA Older Readers judge. Read her interview with Shirley Marr about A Glasshouse of Stars here .
Publisher's Weekly Review
First published in Australia, Marr's (Little Jiang) uneven sophomore middle grade follows quiet, pensive Chinese child Meixing Lei, her pregnant Ma Ma, and Ba Ba, "Old People" and new immigrants to the "New Land," where recently deceased First Uncle has bequeathed them a house that Meixing names "Big Scary." Seemingly shifting and growing to reflect Meixing's emotions, the house contains a mystical glasshouse, where Meixing sees past and future visions and interacts with First Uncle. But when tragedy strikes, the family must rely on their Vietnamese neighbors, the Huynhs, including sullen Kevin, a classmate of Meixing's. Certain elements, including a lunch box moment and Ma Ma's pressure on Meixing to become a doctor and bring honor to the family, will be familiar to readers of similar diasporic titles. While the narration doesn't always feel age-appropriate ("Ailing, so highly foreign educated but completely ignorant about the proceedings of a traditional funeral") and the prophetic glasshouse feels underutilized, the second-person perspective allows direct access to Meixing's rich inner landscape, and the hopeful end to this gentle speculative novel will satisfy. Ages 8--12. Agent: Gemma Cooper, the Bent Agency. (June)
Kirkus Review
A seemingly ordinary greenhouse provides a gateway to hope and resilience in this moving tale. Meixing and her family, who are cued as Chinese, have immigrated to a strange place she calls the New Land. She names the overwhelmingly large house that is now her home "Big Scary" because of its eerie lights and labyrinth of rooms. The house feels alive, and its peculiarity unsettles Meixing, who already feels out of place with her braided black hair, raggedy hand-me-downs, and skin that is darker than that of people in this new place. Meixing finds solace when an exploratory trip to her backyard reveals an enchanted orchard inside a greenhouse. When she retreats to this fantastical space, worlds of possibility and hope open up. She brings Kevin and Josh, two friends who are also outsiders at school with their respective Vietnamese and Middle Eastern backgrounds, to the greenhouse. Together they discover their inner strength and the power of friendship. The unusual, immersive second-person narration allows readers to immediately empathize with Meixing's fears and heartache. This style also helps modulate the pace so that the gentle unfolding of the greenhouse's secrets feels like being enveloped in a warm hug while the urgency of an unexpected crisis is felt swiftly and intensely. The story feels universal, like it could take place anywhere and at any time, although textual clues point to the 1980s. A tender, touching narrative about facing challenges by embracing the magic we hold within ourselves. (Fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Meixing and her parents have just arrived in the New Land, lured by the educational opportunities and the house recently left to them by a deceased relative. The New House is utterly unlike the small apartment on their previous island home, impossibly magical, seeming to grow bigger and smaller according to their needs, revealing different rooms and hidden doors depending on its mood. Everything beyond their physical home is disorienting, as well, and Meixing must learn how to navigate an unfamiliar world while barely comprehending the language and shouldering her parents' enormous expectations. When tragedy strikes at the most inopportune moment, grief compounds the strangeness, but Meixing finds something truly extraordinary in the rundown greenhouse in her overgrown backyard, overseen by an unusual feline caretaker. It's a dreamy, disconcerting story, beautifully told in second person, present tense, giving the proceedings an intense urgency and intimacy. The style works to give readers a taste of Meixing's bewilderment or joy, her intense sorrow or budding hopefulness. Familiar familial bonds and unexpected allies buoy Meixing through it all, and there's a misty, magical quality that lends a fantastical lightness to even the darkest moments. A gorgeous meditation on the immigrant experience, the nebulous idea of home, and the beauty and sorrow found in every life and person.