Home in the Holler
A Book Review by Lainey Vazquez
Hope in the Holler, by Lisa Lewis Tyre, follows Wavie B. Conley after her mom passes and her world turns upside down. Tyre’s beautiful rural Appalachian setting is filled with multifaceted characters that makes Conley Holler feel like your home too. Suddenly fostered by a mysterious new aunt and searching for her father, Wavie uncovers secrets about her family and past. New friends made along the way help Wavie on her journey to unlock her history and find a new home. With dynamic characters and a mystery, this story will leave you on the edge of your seat.
I was pleasantly surprised to see a middle-grade novel deal with complex topics, such as foster care and child abuse, in such a delicate and age-appropriate manner. This work is done without compromising the seriousness of these issues or negating kids' ability to understand them. When Wavie is fostered by her aunt, she is aware the way she is being treated is wrong and then does her best to escape that situation. The book in no way denounces foster care or adoption as a whole but demonstrates the dark potential of that process.
One of my favorite aspects of the novel was the interesting and diverse cast of characters. While racial diversity may have been limited to Camille and her family, the cast was full of characters of all different personalities and upbringings that gave them all their own charm. The main trio of Wavie, Gilbert, and Camille each have such a unique nature that makes them all compelling in their own ways. The adult figures in their life also have their own experiences and perspectives that cause them to treat and see the kids in different ways, and the book is animated by how each of the trio react differently to the varying situations they find themselves in.
As a Latina Appalachian myself, it was amazing to see Camille and her family in the story. I had never read a novel before that has any Mexican representation in Appalachia. I loved that Camille was intelligent and independent, while simultaneously being very close to her family. Some may think it is stereotypical that her family owned a Mexican restaurant, but in truth, Appalachia has many Mexican restaurants, many of which are owned by Latinos. My hometown in eastern Kentucky has a large market and love of Mexican food, so Camille’s family business seems realistic and logical to me.
You may still be wondering, what makes this book so profound? Sure, it has good representation and I’ve stated it deals with hard topics well, but where is my proof? Well, perhaps this will show you what I mean:
Once I’d asked Mama what made people so mean.
It’s the hardness of life you’re seeing, Wavie. That’s what makes people act that way.
But you’re not hard, I’d said. Life hasn’t made you like that.
That’s because I fight it, honey. Sometimes it’s like walking up a muddy hill in slippery shoes, but you have to keep
trying. Once you let yourself go down to the bottom, it’s hard to ever recover. Don’t ever stop fighting. (122)
As Wavie is dealing with all of the complications of her new life, she is wondering why her aunt has to be so cruel. Wavie reflects on what her mother once told her, reminding herself that she can become mean too if she’s not careful. These thoughts are so real and important that I wouldn’t expect to find such complex concepts in a novel meant for middle schoolers. The pain Wavie is going through is not age-restricted, and treating a young girl’s pain as if it were, can leave children unable to process those emotions. Even as an adult, I need to be reminded of this lesson every now and then. Fighting against the difficulties of life and being kind in spite of your situation is a choice. I am grateful to Wavie for reminding me of that.
I adored this story, and I would highly recommend this book to anyone of any age. Even if the story is far below your reading level, the lovely characters, mysteries, and beautiful meaning as well as the important and complex topics discussed will keep you entertained and coming back for more.