H
Natalie O. BaezYoung Adult
Available from Trafford Publishing
ISBN: 1-41204720-X
December 2004
| Clawdia is a young girl who has just gone through an amputation. It is a disabling event that pains her and makes her at first feel sorry for herself then later has her experiencing abandonment from her mother four months after her amputation. She creates a journal and records events that take her on a remembrance of things that happened in her lifetime to the present. She tells the story of a girl with a father and a mother in a loving home who doesn’t understand why a mother would just decide to leave when everything was in her reach. She lives with reminders that trouble her and memories that will always stay in her heart.
H is a story that revolves around a young girl who is involved in an accident that has left part of her body severed. She records her story as if in a diary of sorts leading from the accident to how the people around her cope, not only with the mishap but with their lives as well. She records each entry as H explaining her feelings with every experience especially when her mother abandons her, and her father, four months after the amputation. H is a short story that is packed with memories that many can relate to in their lifetime. I thought the scene was touching when she was recalling events with her mother from jogging to painting, and especially to the swimming episodes. Nathalie Baez paints a lovely portrait that sometimes is not so attractive in a young girl’s life. Yet throughout the story Ms. Baez allows the reader to feel some of the pain, joy, heartache and disturbing things that can actually happen to people. I loved how she told how Clawdia was afraid to touch the paintings of her mother for fear of altering them. The way she mentioned the items of her mothers things placed in the bedroom and could only be gazed upon and not touched allowed the reader to experience the feelings trapped in her heart. This was a short read that caresses the heart and puts the reader inside the person head. It gives thought and makes the reader recall memories that one has sometimes forgotten. This is a sentimental journey that will stroke the heart.
Overall rating:
Reviewer: Linda L. |
