4.15 AVERAGE


I missed the first two in the Gaither Sisters series but you better believe I'll be going back to devour them. This is nuanced, powerful, authentic, beautiful historical fiction. History is accessibly layered in but undergirds everything about who Delphine and her sisters are, the stories of each previous generation, and the complicated and tragic foundation of our country. Williams-Garcia's note at the end is a must read first thing: "If Dephine and her family seem real to you, it is because the *idea* of them is read. The Trotters, Charleses, Gaithers, and Johnsons tell and American story in their crossings, struggles, and strides, and in their witnessing of and taking part in history." I especially appreciated her sophisticated treatment of the complex/shared history of African-Americans and Native Americans. And it's impossible not to love Delphine for her shortcomings and earnestness in growing up and waking up.

The kids and I enjoyed this trilogy thoroughly.

this one was like a 4.75 but a delicious conclusion to the trilogy. i feel like it had more action than the others and i love that we got to see the girls in three distinct places and three ages. it’s like we grew with them. i just love this family so much and had so many questions about what gender the baby was, if vonetta got her watch back, all of that. the adventure with vonetta being almost lost was just such good action too. the only reason it’s not a 5 is because there was so nondescript cousin flirting (or it felt like that) that felt real odd to me and i wasn’t a fan. everything else superb tho. just great stuff

Aw man...this series can't be over! What a sweet, sweet trilogy.

Originally posted here at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.

Gone Crazy in Alabama by Rita Williams Garcia is the final book in the trilogy about the Gaither Sisters of Brooklyn, NY.


Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern and are spending the summer in Alabama with Big Ma. Cows, chickens, and encounters with the KKK are far cry from the streets of the city they're used to. It's also a far cry from their last summer experience in Oakland, CA. It's not entirely bad though as the girls learn more of their family's history. But things in the family are far from perfect. There are many divisions, rivalries, and long-standing resentments that need to be faced and dealt with. It will take a tragic turn of events to bring everyone together again.

Delphine is still trying to adjust to the changes in her life the past year has wrought. Things are changing more than ever now as their dad's wife is pregnant, and she will be entering junior high. The conflicts between her and Vonetta are becoming more frequent too. Despite the lessons learned in the previous book, Delphine is having a hard time letting go of being in charge of her sisters, and Vonetta is fighting hard against it. Delphine is constantly mad at her for the way she treats Fern, oblivious to how she treats Vonetta the same way. This conflict is the center of the story and is mirrored in the sibling rivalry between their great grandmother and her sister.

The family history the girls learn is an interesting one, and the way it is injected so organically into the story keeps things interesting and funny. The humor in the rivalry between the elderly sisters is a humorous balance to the more fraught parts of the story. Uncle Darnell is getting back on his feet after his issues in P.S. Be Eleven, but Vonetta is determined to never forgive him. Big Ma is as sour as ever towards life in general and, often, the girls in particular. She seems to see them as the evidence of everything that is going wrong with the world. All of these are dealt with beautifully and realistically. And we get to see Cecile again too. There is a few chapters where everything is just awful, but even in these chapters Garcia adds enough humor to take the edge of it without detracting from the horror of the situation.

P.S. Be Eleven is still my favorite of the trilogy, but I like the way Gone Crazy in Alabama resolves a lot of the issues that hadn't yet been dealt with and looks toward a bright and hopeful future.


It's interesting to read about characters whose worldview is entirely different than yours. It's even more interesting to read about characters who are put in an environment where the worldview is entirely different than theirs, which is also different than yours.

Follow? :)

I'd say this is a great example of historical fiction and continues the stories of the Gaither sisters nicely by adding additional historical context to their family tree.

A wonderful conclusion to this lovely trilogy. Probably rounded up, but my favorite of the three. Made me laugh out loud and that’s worth a lot.

Gone Crazy in Alabama by Rita Williams-Garcia
2016 Coretta Scott King Author Award

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Target audience: 4-6 Grades

Text-to-text: Gone Crazy in Alabama reminded me of "The Relatives" by Cynthia Rylant right away. While the books are quite different in terms of character development and depth, they follow sort of a similar story line. Both books are about families visiting each other and enjoying (sort of) each other's company. Gone Crazy in Alabama is a great read and should be a staple in a children's library!

Text-to-world: Everyone can relate to family reunions that end up being a little rough. Maybe your aunt is dramatic or your grandma is sappy, but it never fails that at every family get together, something goes wrong. The cool thing is that no matter what happens, families always get back together again and the love is never lost. I was surprised at the humor in this book and would definitely recommend it as it is so relatable.

Text-to-self: I see myself in these girls who are a little surprised by their crazy relatives. I am always dumbfounded at the things my family members say at reunions and get togethers. Still, I love them and am always excited to see them again. I think this book is a great representation of family relationships.

Not even rating this, because for some reason I just never got into this - but I think that's on me and not the book, because I loved the first two so much.

As the oldest of three sisters, can I just say that Williams-Garcia gets it? Sisters love and loathe each other with such ferocity, especially during adolescence. Surely do.