Feathers

Woodson, Jacqueline. 2007. Feathers.  New York, NY: Puffin Books. ISBN 978039923982

 

Brief Plot Summary:

 Hope is something that seems elusive to Frannie.  She wants to have it but is afraid of being disappointed.  Frannie’s thoughts are occupied by the important relationships in her life, including her brother Sean, who is deaf; her best friend, Samantha, who is focused on spiritual matters; her mother, who is pregnant; and a new boy in her class, nicknamed “Jesus Boy”.  Frannie wants to have hope that the baby her mother is carrying will be ok.  She wants to hope that Jesus Boy is, somehow, really Jesus and won’t continue to be bullied.  Does she have the courage to hope for these things and risk being disappointed? 

 

Critical analysis:

 

Feathers tells the story of a young girl named Frannie’s cautious journey into hope. Frannie’s character is portrayed as wise beyond her years, due to the sadness in her life, such as the loss of a baby sister, her observation of how her deaf brother is treated, and the fact that she wonders why life on the “other side of the highway” is different.  Jacqueline Woodson does an excellent job at showing readers Frannie’s emotional growth as she maneuvers through her relationships with her mother, her brother, and the new boy at school, “Jesus Boy”.  Frannie’s language is very believable.  Her cautious attitude toward hope is clearly portrayed in this language (“My grandmother always says that good things come in ones and twos and threes and bad things come however they can get here”).

 

The events in this story are very true to life, especially the scenes at Frannie’s school when “Jesus Boy” is taunted by Trevor.  The schoolyard dynamics showcase the bravado, fear, and embarrassment typical in these situations. While there were not any unexpected twists and turns in the story, it is likely to hold the attention of readers who are rooting for Frannie to find hope in the future.  There is no obvious moralizing within the story, even as Samantha theorizes that “Jesus Boy” is actually Jesus Christ and her faith is shared with other characters.

 

The book jacket indicates that the story is set in the early seventies but there are not a lot of cues that indicate the time period in the story.  Subtle cues, such as hairstyles, hint at the timeframe but the biggest indicator is the mention of recent desegregation and the fact that the highway divides the town by race.

 I think the theme of hope would resonate with young readers who can empathize with Frannie’s wish to see her mother happy and healthy, and to see her brother find friends who are willing to overlook the fact that he is deaf and appreciate him for his character. 

 

The writing style is natural and believable and the tone is somber throughout most of the book, with a good balance of narration and dialogue.  While the protagonist is female, the story should be equally appealing to boys as Sean and “Jesus Boy” is significant to the plot.  Young readers should find the characters and their struggles very relatable.

 

Awards won: 

 

Newbery Honor Book 2008

 

Review Excerpts:

 

School Library Journal

 

It's winter in 1971, and Frannie, a sixth-grader at a predominantly black school, doesn't know what to make of the new student in her class whose pale skin, long curly hair, and calm demeanor have everyone calling him the Jesus Boy. Told in an earthy, honest, and occasionally downright funny first-person narrative, this eminently discussable book grapples with issues of prejudice, faith, and the genesis of hope.

 

2007. "Feathers." School Library Journal 53, 49. Library & Information Science Source, EBSCOhost (accessed July 29, 2013).

 

Publisher’s Weekly

 

Looking forward" is the message that runs through Woodson's (The House Pass on the Way) novel. Narrator Frannie is fascinated with Emily Dickinson's poem, "Hope is the thing with feathers/that perches in the soul," and grapples with its meaning, especially after a white student joins Frannie's all-black sixth-grade classroom. Trevor, the classroom bully, promptly nicknames him "Jesus Boy," because he is "pale and his hair [is] long." Frannie's best friend, Samantha, a preacher's daughter, starts to believe that the new boy truly could be Jesus ("If there was a world for Jesus to need to walk back into, wouldn't this one be it?"). The Jesus Boy's sense of calm and its effect on her classmates make Frannie wonder if there is some truth to Samantha’s musings, but a climactic faceoff between him and Trevor bring the newcomer's human flaws to light. Frannie's keen perceptions allow readers to observe a ripple of changes. Because she has experienced so much sadness in her life (her brother's deafness, her mother's miscarriages) the heroine is able to see beyond it all--to look forward to a time when the pain subsides and life continues. Set in 1971, Woodson's novel skillfully weaves in the music and events surrounding the rising opposition to the Vietnam War, giving this gentle, timeless story depth. She raises important questions about God, racial segregation and issues surrounding the hearing-impaired with a light and thoughtful touch. Ages 8-up. (Mar.) Agent: Charlotte Sheedy.

 

2007. "Feathers." Publishers Weekly 254, no. 2: 51-52. Library & Information Science Source, EBSCOhost (accessed July 29, 2013).

  

 

Connections:

 

Other books by Jacqueline Woodson

 

Beneath a Meth Moon

Hush

Behind You

If You Come Softly

Miracle’s Boys

 

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