The anthropologist in me can't help but be enthralled by a book whose first chapter involves an 11 year-old girl struggling to acquire a copy of Darwin's The Origin of Species. The year is 1899 and Mr. Darwin's book is not easy to come by in Fentress, Texas. But Calpurnia Virginia Tate is convinced it will help her sort out the mystery of the abundance of fat, yellow grasshoppers on her family's pecan farm. After being denied the book by the snooty town librarian, Callie Vee is forced to sort out the problem on her own and soon lands on a likely solution. She takes her discovery to her cantankerous Granddaddy who, impressed by her tenacity, offers her his prized copy of the book. And there begins a year of discovery that will change Callie Vee's relationship with nature, her grandfather and herself.
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate explores themes of transition, choice and, well, evolution. A new century is approaching and science is challenging long-held perceptions of nature and religion. Technology is rapidly changing daily life, from the town's first telephone to the mouth-dropping miracle of the "auto-mobile". And Callie's life is changing as well. As the only girl among six brothers, she has had a wild and wandering childhood. She much prefers studying nature and making notes in her journal to needlework and piano lessons. But Callie is growing up and her mother is determined she remedy her woeful lack of common domestic skills. Callie dreads every moment spent practicing knitting and cooking and secretly entertains the idea of attending the university to study science. Will her dream be too far-fetched to realize?
The episodic nature of the storytelling paints a vivid picture of family life in 1899, albeit a very privileged family. Reminders of civil war and slavery linger just outside of storyline but give depth to what can be the myopic view of a young protagonist. Callie's struggle for identity is both poignant and thought-provoking, but the quirky characters in her family and Callie's boisterous knack for getting into trouble keep the story light-hearted and entertaining.
This is Jacqueline Kelly's first novel.
Author: Kelly, Jacqueline
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
Publication Date: May 2009
"The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" was named a Newberry Honor Book this week. Check out the ALA official announcement and other winners here: ALA Press Release
ReplyDeleteFun book to read. I enjoyed it. The characters were well developed which gave a sense of "knowing" them as you progressed through the book.
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