Twelve-year-old Ophelia, nicknamed Fella, and her 16-year-old sister, Zoey Grace, aka Zany, are the daughters of a lesbian couple, Shannon and Lacy, who could not legally marry. Two sisters make an unauthorized expedition to their former hometown and in the process bring together the two parts of their divided family.ĭooley packs plenty of emotion into this eventful road trip, which takes place over the course of less than 24 hours. Ryan’s sure-handed storytelling and affection for her characters convey a clear sense of Naomi’s triumph, as she becomes “who I was meant to be.” (Fiction. Naomi’s matter-of-fact narrative is suffused with her worries and hopes, along with her protective love for her brother and great-grandmother. The annual December radish-carving festival gives Naomi’s creativity a chance to shine and makes the perfect setting for a reunion. Here they are immersed in a world of warmth and friendship, where Naomi’s longing to meet the father she dimly remembers intensifies. With friends’ help, Gram takes the children to Oaxaca City to find their father and gain his support in her custody appeal. The troubled young woman’s difficulties threaten to overturn the security Gram has worked to provide for Naomi and Owen.
The unexpected arrival of Naomi’s long-absent mother throws everything off balance.
Naomi, a soft-voiced list-maker and word-collector, is also a gifted soap-carver-something inherited, it turns out, from the Mexican father from whom she and Owen were separated as small children. "Symbols abound, and readers of all ages will enjoy reading of Naomi's transformation and triumph.First-person narrator Naomi León Outlaw and her bright, physically lopsided little brother Owen feel safe in the routines of life in Lemon Grove, California, with great-grandmother Gram. All of the characters are well drawn, and readers will share Naomi's fear until the judge makes the final decision about her future." - School Library Journal While she explores the youngsters' Mexican heritage and gives a vivid picture of life in and the art of Oaxaca, her story is universal, showing the strong bonds and love that make up an extended family. "Ryan has written a moving book about family dynamics.
" has its own uniquely affecting emotional core." - The Horn Book a tender tale about family love and loyalty." Publishers Weekly, starred review "Once again, Ryan crystallizes the essence of settings and characters through potent, economic prose. "Ryan's sure-handed storytelling and affection for her characters convey a clear sense of Naomi's triumph, as she becomes "who I was meant to be." Kirkus Reviews, starred review Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award Winnerīook Sense Book of the Year Award Honor Book Awards and Praise for Becoming Naomi León
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