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By the time The Zebra Wall was published—Kevin Henkes's third novel—the author had begun refining his style, getting closer to the form he would show two decades later in winning a 2004 Newbery Honor for Olive's Ocean. Ten-year-old Adine Vorlob is the eldest of five platinum-blonde sisters awaiting the arrival of a sixth child in the family. Mrs. Vorlob's sister is temporarily moving in to help care for the newborn, but Adine isn't pleased; Aunt Irene is bossy, and can be insensitive to the girls' feelings. Her husband recently divorced her, though, and Adine's mother believes that Aunt Irene needs them every bit as much as Mrs. Vorlob could use an adult caretaker in addition to Mr. Vorlob. Having Aunt Irene claim Adine's bedroom for an indefinite period of time is a sacrifice, but Adine is willing to make it for her hardworking mother.
The baby comes a month premature, but in good health for a preemie. It's a tiny, spindly creature with hardly the strength to cry, but the newborn settles in at home with minimal agitation. Now the task is picking a name in accordance with the Vorlob naming tradition. Adine was born first, followed by now eight-year-old Bernice, seven-year-old Carla, four-year-old Dot, and two-year-old Effie. The next in succession must have a name beginning with F, though completing the alphabet is unlikely for a mother whose pregnancies are already ending before the due date. The Vorlobs and Aunt Irene brainstorm a flurry of "F" names, but the momma is choosy, and the name has to sit just right in her mind. How long will they call the crib's inhabitant "Baby" before Mrs. Vorlob decides?
Loath to add to her mother's stress, Adine strives to live at peace with Aunt Irene, but the woman is cantankerous in the aftermath of her divorce. Adine desires alone time with her mother and new sibling, but Aunt Irene interferes. Bernice and Carla are tired of their aunt, too, and wouldn't mind telling her, but Adine restrains them from crossing lines that can't be uncrossed. Aunt Irene is family, and they have to treat her civilly or end up in a worse situation. After an incident at school Adine is at the boiling point with her aunt and wants her gone, but people are often more vulnerable than they let on, and revenge against a person in deep pain is hollow reward. We are each our own lonely planet, spinning aimlessly in a cold, dark universe, but we can take comfort that a few friends and family members orbit the same central object, however far apart we may be. Perhaps Adine and Aunt Irene will come to see they aren't so different even though their personalities clash, and that family closeness is a blessing even when it feels like nothing more than a chore. There's a lot of life ahead, and Adine is on the road toward it.
Kevin Henkes doesn't write thrills or twists; he's more Judy Blume than Neal Shusterman. But The Zebra Wall is good, a reflection on turmoil within and without, told with the uncompromising realism that marks all the author's novels. Authenticity is more important to him than synthesizing a perfect moment to cap the story, and that's why I love what Kevin Henkes does. It's as if he's creating life, a miracle every author strives for but few come close to achieving. Is there any act as awesome as the creation of life ex nihilo? The Zebra Wall isn't as powerful as some of Henkes's later novels, but I rate it two and a half stars, and considered rounding up to three. The story will linger with me for some time.
The baby comes a month premature, but in good health for a preemie. It's a tiny, spindly creature with hardly the strength to cry, but the newborn settles in at home with minimal agitation. Now the task is picking a name in accordance with the Vorlob naming tradition. Adine was born first, followed by now eight-year-old Bernice, seven-year-old Carla, four-year-old Dot, and two-year-old Effie. The next in succession must have a name beginning with F, though completing the alphabet is unlikely for a mother whose pregnancies are already ending before the due date. The Vorlobs and Aunt Irene brainstorm a flurry of "F" names, but the momma is choosy, and the name has to sit just right in her mind. How long will they call the crib's inhabitant "Baby" before Mrs. Vorlob decides?
Loath to add to her mother's stress, Adine strives to live at peace with Aunt Irene, but the woman is cantankerous in the aftermath of her divorce. Adine desires alone time with her mother and new sibling, but Aunt Irene interferes. Bernice and Carla are tired of their aunt, too, and wouldn't mind telling her, but Adine restrains them from crossing lines that can't be uncrossed. Aunt Irene is family, and they have to treat her civilly or end up in a worse situation. After an incident at school Adine is at the boiling point with her aunt and wants her gone, but people are often more vulnerable than they let on, and revenge against a person in deep pain is hollow reward. We are each our own lonely planet, spinning aimlessly in a cold, dark universe, but we can take comfort that a few friends and family members orbit the same central object, however far apart we may be. Perhaps Adine and Aunt Irene will come to see they aren't so different even though their personalities clash, and that family closeness is a blessing even when it feels like nothing more than a chore. There's a lot of life ahead, and Adine is on the road toward it.
Kevin Henkes doesn't write thrills or twists; he's more Judy Blume than Neal Shusterman. But The Zebra Wall is good, a reflection on turmoil within and without, told with the uncompromising realism that marks all the author's novels. Authenticity is more important to him than synthesizing a perfect moment to cap the story, and that's why I love what Kevin Henkes does. It's as if he's creating life, a miracle every author strives for but few come close to achieving. Is there any act as awesome as the creation of life ex nihilo? The Zebra Wall isn't as powerful as some of Henkes's later novels, but I rate it two and a half stars, and considered rounding up to three. The story will linger with me for some time.
