Absolutely Truly by Heather Vogel Frederick

from goodreads

5 stars

I picked out this book purely based on the covered bridge on its cover. I love covered bridges. I live about 20 minutes away from one, out in West Montrose. It is the last remaining historical covered bridge in Ontario, at least that is what wikepedia is telling me. Pretty cool. Even though I knew it was there, and saw pictures of it, and I have a friend who lives out there, I had not been on it until just a couple weeks ago. It is kind of embarrassing really. But there you go. It was quite fun when we finally drove over it. It was only one lane and it was dark, and the kids were like "why are we driving into a building?" Oh the memories.

Covered bridges just look so beautiful. They hearken back to when times were much simpler. I guess the word I'm looking for is nostalgic. Covered bridges are definitely nostalgic. Therefore, why wouldn't a book with a covered bridge on the cover pique my interest. They are a rare thing of beauty.

Synopsis

Truly Lovejoy's, yes that is a most unfortunate name, life has been flipped upside down. Her Father was injured in Afghanistan meaning what she thought was a permanent home in Texas is not. Instead the family is moving across the country to Pumpkin Falls to take over her grandparents book store.

While helping going through books, Truly finds an interesting letter in an original copy of Charlotte's Web.  With the help of her knew friends Truly sets out to decode clues and find out where this letter came from.

My Thoughts

This was a joy to read. I had so much fun.

I loved how the author dealt with real issues that happen in families. The Father is injured and trying to readjust to his new life out of the military. He and his family have to navigate that new reality together. The sibling dynamics were believable and relatable. The nicknames and the embarrassment when they are used in public, classic. The sacrifices that the whole family has to make sometimes were great to see. It was refreshing to see a family who struggles but does not call it quits, a family that was not all glamourous and happiness, but you could still feel their love and connection. It was so nice.

I loved the setting of Pumpkin Falls. I think I would like to live there forever. It seemed large enough that the stores on main street could stay open but small enough that it still felt quaint. The cast of characters, though not unique, held their own and seemed a right fit. The bookstore is my kind of heaven. I would love to curl up in one of the comfy chairs in the reading nooks and just escape for a day. Everything about it sounds awesome. 

Truly, despite her unfortunate name, is a lovely character. She is one I think most kids could find something relatable in. She is flawed, but she doesn't always let that get her down. She seems to make the best of most situations and she is a real kid doing real kid things.

I loved how the author talked about different books, and introduced different genres of books as well as how she referenced older movies (like from the '50s). High Noon and To Catch a Thief are among my favourite movies. This book will help broaden the readers horizons and look to the awesomeness of the past and how that can help them appreciate what is created now and help them create in the future. Some of the books referenced are definitely on my to read list now.

This is more than just a mystery book. It is a great and timely story. It is a story about a girl and her family dealing with change. It is about friendship and dealing with twerps. It is about learning to feel comfortable in your own skin. Despite the crazy names of the characters, trust me, Truly is just the beginning, this was a great book. I think kids 10 and up will enjoy it and I think parents will enjoy this as well.

Take the trip to Pumpkin Falls, you won't regret it. I am hoping to visit there again soon. Until then, I will have to make the recipe that can be found at the end of the book to tide me over.