Tumbleweed Skies by Valerie Sherrard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Valerie Sherrard’s novels are always well-written and entertaining but this one stands out as her best of the best. Tumbleweed Skies is a tale of Ellie, a young girl in 1950s western Canada who must stay with her taciturn grandmother for the summer while her father tries his hand as a traveling salesman. The simplicity of the story lets the complexity of the characters shine through. Ellie herself stands out as a girl with a hard-luck life who refuses to be a victim. I found myself weeping on many occasions while reading this book as Ellie reacted to the rare instances of human kindness. Ellie’s grandmother is a tough nut to crack and the novel wouldn’t have been true to itself if she relented too easily. I read this novel in a single sitting and as I closed it, I wished I could read more. I would love to know what happens to Ellie as she grows. I know that she will be a remarkable woman. What I really loved about this novel was how Sherrard shows that what you see isn’t what you get. Ellie’s “friend” Marcie seems to have everything she wants, but she is not happy. Uncle Roger’s disfiguration from an accident and his tragic circumstances have only made him kinder and stronger. The same tragic circumstances have made Ellie’s grandmother bitter. The novel shows without telling that most people do live with tragedy, but it is up to us whether we take those experiences to make us bitter or better.
Well done.
