Dollbaby

Format:

Book (large print)

Title:

Dollbaby

Author:

McNeal, Laura Lane author

ISBN:

9781410473929

Edition:

Large print edition.

Publication:

Waterville, Maine : Thorndike Press, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning, 2014.

Physical Description:

545 pages (large print) ; 24 cm.

Series title(s):

Thorndike Press large print historical fiction.

General Note:

"A novel."

Summary:

When Ibby Bell's father dies unexpectedly in the summer of 1964, her mother unceremoniously deposits Ibby with her eccentric grandmother Fannie and throws in her father's urn for good measure. Fannie's New Orleans house is like no place Ibby has ever been -- and Fannie, who has a tendency to end up in the local asylum -- is like no one she has ever met. Fortunately, Fannie's black cook, Queenie, and her smart-mouthed daughter, Dollbaby, take it upon themselves to initiate Ibby into the ways of the South, both its grand traditions and its darkest secrets. For Fannie's own family history is fraught with tragedy, hidden behind the closed rooms in her ornate Uptown mansion. It will take Ibby's arrival to begin to unlock the mysteries there. And it will take Queenie and Dollbaby's hard-won wisdom to show Ibby that family can sometimes be found in the least expected places.

Subject(s):

Families -- Fiction.

Redemption -- Fiction.

Large type books.

New Orleans (La.) -- History -- 20th century -- Fiction.

Louisiana -- Race relations -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

New Orleans (La.) -- History -- 20th century -- Fiction.

Louisiana -- Race relations -- Fiction.

Louisiana.

Louisiana -- New Orleans.

Genre:

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Salem Main Library	LP McNeal, L.	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

A Library Journal Editors' Pick BEA 2014When Ibby Bell's father dies unexpectedly in the summer of 1964, her mother deposits Ibby with her eccentric grandmother, Fannie, and throws in her father's urn for good measure. Fannie's New Orleans house is like no place Ibby has ever been -- and Fannie is like no one she has ever met. Fortunately, Fannie's black cook, Queenie, and her smart-mouthed daughter, Dollbaby, take it upon themselves to initiate Ibby into the ways of the South.

Reviews (3)

Kirkus Review

In the vein ofSaving CeeCee HoneycuttandThe Help, McNeals touching coming-of-age tale brings to life Civil Rightsera New Orleans.When 12-year-old Ibbys father dies in an accident, her no-good mother, Vidrine, hauls her across the country to live with a grandmother shes never met: the tragic, eccentric and indomitable Fannie Bell. Fannie's big house in New Orleans is like nothing Ibbys seen in Olympia, Washington; of particular note are the two black women, Queenie and her daughter Dollbaby, who work there. Soon, Ibby learns the Fannie Rules: Dont ask questions, dont unlock the doors on the second floor, and dont talk about the past. Infractions send Fannie to the mental hospital for a rest, a not-infrequent event. Ibby begins private school and becomes friends with Dollbabys daughter Birdelia; though the same age, they live remarkably different lives in the segregated South. Dollbaby goes to lunch-counter sit-ins, her brother T-Bone goes to Vietnam, the Civil Rights Amendment is passed, and slowly, the old guard of the South gives way to hippies. The story wanders gently along: Ibby has a Sweet 16 party, an old tree falls on the house, nasty Annabelle Friedrichs accuses T-Bone of rape (this lie is easily revealed thanks to Miss Fannies cleverness), and though at times the plotting is overly episodic, with few natural transitions to link the scenes, McNeals portrait of a time and place is rich enough to mitigate the flaws. Slowly, a picture of Fannies past emerges, one that explains the frequent visits to the mental hospital and also her great generosity. At Fannies mysterious demise, final secrets are revealedtruths that will tug a tear from the hardest of hearts.Rich characterization makes McNeals debut a lovely summer read. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Ibby is almost 12 when her father dies, and her mother, suddenly consumed by wanderlust, drops her off in New Orleans with the paternal grandmother she has never met. Initially reserved, Ibby has little time to wallow in her sorrow. Grandmother Fannie is loving but eccentric and occasionally disappears for respite at the local sanitarium. On these occasions, Ibby is left in the care of Fannie's black cook, Queenie, and Queenie's daughter, Dollbaby, who teach her to understand and love her new world and slowly reveal to her the secrets of the old home and its inhabitants. Though Ibby never stops watching for her mother, through the years she finds love and acceptance with this new, cobbled-together family. Replete with southern tradition and the heady emotions of the civil rights movement, this first novel is richly if a bit romantically imagined. It is a touching coming-of-age story that is sincere and poignant. A lighter version of The Help (2009), with similar charm and intention, Dollbaby is sure to please.--Ophoff, Cortney Copyright 2010 Booklist

Library Journal Review

Ibby Bell is dumped by her mother on her grandmother's doorstep, holding an urn with the ashes of her recently deceased father. The naive, spirited teenager arrives in New Orleans in the midst of the racial turmoil of the 1960s. Her eccentric, wealthy grandmother Fannie's house holds myriad secrets: locked rooms, asylum visits, racial tension, and dark truths. The saving graces in Ibby's new life are the blooming friendships she finds with Fannie's cook Queenie and her daughter, nicknamed Dollbaby, who help her navigate Southern life and show her the true meaning of family. VERDICT Bursting with believable conflict and lovable characters, along with a lush and evocative portrait of the Crescent City during the civil rights era, this debut novel marks the arrival of an original and assured writer. Fans of Pat Conroy and Sue Monk Kidd will enjoy this new Southern talent. [See Editors' Picks, "Books for the Masses," p. 28; July LibraryReads pick, p. 119.-Ed.]-Julia M. Reffner, Fairport, NY (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.