Girlchild by Tupelo Hassman

Girlchild

Tupelo Hassman

On a trailer park in Reno, schoolgirl Rory Dawn Hendrix comes of age over the course of a ten year period. Her upbringing is fraught with heartache and fear. I felt immense sympathy for Rory Dawn and was shocked by the distressing experiences of her formative years. Yet in the closing pages I was left with the impression that she’d be alright in the end and was happy that her fortunes were at last beginning to change.

Extract
The only way to get free, of our families - of this place - is to tear our very selves apart, to say good-bye and go on alone, so we hang here and wait for the County to send someone out to clean us up.
Parallels
  • Diamond Star Halo by Tiffany Murray
  • The Color Purple by Alice Walker
  • The Illustrated Mum by Jacqueline Wilson