Here I Am!

Description

A49thShelfEditors PickMyMum said sometimes refugees dont eat anything for days and days. Sometimes weeks and months so I am really lucky. I think she exaggerates. But I think she is right about the lucky bit.Or maybe not.Sometimes I forget that MyMum is dead. But that is probably better than remembering.When Frankies mother dies, he tells his teacher, of course. But he cant seem to get anyone at his school in southern England to listen to him. So the six-year-old comes up with a plan: go to France, find a police station, and ask the officers to ring his father. Thus a stowaways view of the sea opens Giller-nominated Pauline Holdstocks eighth novel, narrated in turns by Frankiewho likes cheese, numbers, the sea when its pink and smooth like counting, and being alone when he feels badand a cast of characters that includes his worried Gran, his callous teacher, and his not-so-reliable father. Set in the summer of Annichka the Soviet space dog,Here I Am!is a mesmerizing story about the lucidity of children and the shortsightedness of adults.Praise forHere I Am!A moving tale about the invisibility children suffer when they are not heard and seen as their unique selvesHoldstock inhabits the mind of a bright, funny, and sensitive child through exuberant, playful language that doesnt mask the darkness of his life. Frankies description of curling up on his dead mothers lap is heart-rendingAn unforgettable story about one very special child.KirkusWithHere I Am!, Pauline Holdstock enchants with a spell of delectable storytellingthe novels wonderment and delight in the possibilities of life is an effervescent tonicAs adventure alone, Holdstocks tale can hold its own. Coupling that with clever narration and a singular young hero, though, Holdstock has created a story thats sure to thrill kids of all ages.Vancouver SunThe writing in Here I Am! is captivating, with Holdstock deftly capturing Frankies travels, both literal and internal An intriguing mystery The novel finds its way with charming intrigue and humour.Winnipeg Free PressHere I Am! is a great armchair read, delivered by a six-year-old narrator who is always on the move, an acute observer, frequently hilarious, and often very wise. Frankie both warmed and wrenched my heart, and it was a deep pleasure to follow him and the cast of supporting characters on his epic voyage from disaster to happiness and contentmentthe very opposite of the story of the Titanic that frightens him so. Fans of Mark Haddon will particularly enjoy Here I Am! though Pauline Holdstocks character, is of course, no one but himself, and the dog in Here I Am! is very much alive. Pauline Holdstock has crafted a touching and utterly absorbing story that reminds us of what it is to be a child.Kathy Page, author ofDear Evelyn, 2018 Winner of the Writers Trust Rogers PrizeAt the heart of Pauline Holdstocks spellbinding new novel is the wonderful Francis: a six year old stowaway with opinions about almost everything. I loved being in his company and indeed in the company of all the vivid a noying characters who people this suspenseful, exuberant story. If only Here I Am! didnt have to end.Margot Livesey, author ofMercuryIn Frankie, Holdstock has created an unforgettable young narrator funny, determined, and by turns wise and innocent. Drawing comparisons to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime author Mark Haddon, Holdstocks storytelling is deeply charming, anchored in the truth and depth of Frankies experiences, loss, and raw hope.Open BookHoldstock writes powerfully in Frankies voice, drawing readers into his internal life in a manner reminiscent of Mark HaddonsThe Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. She plays well with the ironic distance the voice provides; the reader understands more of Frankies situation than he does himself, while also being keenly aware of what Frankie is probably like to those around him. Its a powerful, absorbing approach that deepens and fuels an otherwise fairly straightforward narrative.Quill & QuireFrankies voice is endearing and, despite the tragedy at the beginning of this adventure, his story will warm your heart and make you smile.Consumed by InkRarely does a book draw me in from page one, but such was the case with Here I Am! by Pauline Holdstock Frankies intelligent observations of life around him are sometimes hilarious and always powerful I highly recommend this book. I am sure you will find young Frankies story both poignant and heartwarming.Ormsby ReviewPraise for Pauline Holdstock[The Blackbirdss Song] examines questions of faith, meaning and power; [Holdstocks] investigation of these issues is profound and beautifully paced, so that despite the intensity of the subject, the momentum of the narrative never falters, the evocation of place and time having an almost cinematic immediacy.Times Literary SupplementPowerful, almost elemental storytelling, an achievement not only of craft but of raw emotion. [The Hunter and the Wild Girl] pulses with vitality, building to a stunning, shattering conclusion.Vancouver SunHoldstocks ability to paint strange and compelling characters and march them through wondrous and terrifying events leaves one not too concerned about tracing themes. As her title suggests, mysterious life spills beyond the boundaries of inquiry.Globe and MailA thorough examination of what, exactly, it means to be a persona question more daunting than any human antagonist, and one Holdstock raises gradually, with great skill and a light touch . . . [A] rich, immersive experience with little left to the imagination. Thats a good thing: hers is the kind of prose you get lost in.National PostPauline Holdstocks language is so powerful, her writing so wrought with emotion and beauty, that you become fully lost in her world.Winnipeg Review