4This hugely entertaining tale begins in the south of the USA in 1958. The novel is part memoir. Fact and fiction coalesce as the family embarks upon a life-changing journey. The dynamics of family life is what gives the narrative momentum. Names have been altered. The story line follows the adult memory of the author. It captures the idea of memory and the mythical self. The main character, Georgina Jane O'Shaughnessy, is a small, quiet child. How can such a person be mythical? Be legendary? As the story unfolds, the reader will discover how this can be.
Stream of consciousness is used in several interludes, some of which hearken back to the mindset leading to the War Between the States in the 1860s. Parts are written in the omniscient third person. Throughout the novel, memory recovers sights, sounds, tastes and attitudes long gone. During the time in which the novel is set, America was on the brink of enormous social change, and at the end of the story, the girl sees a vision of new horizons and exciting potential.
The landscape of America is described with awe. The child is impressed with the sights she sees and remains in a state of wonder throughout the story. She discovers the aurora borealis one cold night with her grandmother and siblings as they stand and shiver in the snow. She notices the Alaskan wildlife.
Her voice encapsulates a bubble of time, a time long past. Memories are a repository of a wealth of information and become a springboard for ideas about the life of a little girl taking on flesh through the power of words and her child-like gaze.