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A review by angiebayne
Maybe a Fox by Alison McGhee, Kathi Appelt
4.0
Jules and Sylvie are sisters. Jules is obsessed with rocks. Sylvie is obsessed with running. One of the things they do is find wish rocks to throw in the slip, a place where the river behind their house flows underground. The wishes can be burning wishes that are wished for over and over again or ordinary wishes. Jules doesn't have a burning wish, but Sylvie always wishes to run faster. Jules and Sylvie's mom died when they were very young and their dad has rules about what they can and cannot do while he is gone. One of the things is going to the slip. Then one morning Sylvia has a wish rock that she must use. She runs to the slip and falls in, her body is never found. Jules and her dad are now a unit of two and overcome with grief.
Next door to Jules and Sylvie lives Sam. He is best friends with the sisters. Sam's brother Elk is back from the war in Afghanistan and not the same. Elk and his best friend Zeke went to war together and only Elk came home. Elk wonders the woods looking for Zeke's spirit or acceptance of what happened. Sam's burning wish was for Elk to come home, but now he wishes to see the legendary catamount who has not been seen in a long time. Signs have been spotted indicating the catamount is back.
At the same time Sylvie is falling to her death, a mother fox is about to give birth. A young female fox named Senna is born with the knowledge that she is not like her brothers or parents. She is connected to the human world and to Jules. There is something she has to do for that grieving family.
This is a wonderful mix of a book. Almost all the characters are dealing with grief of some kind. They all handle it differently which gives readers multiple perspectives on grief. There is anger and sadness and loneliness and denial. All the stages of grief seem to be represented through the different characters. There is also the animal connection through the catamount and the fox. Are these animals reincarnated spirits of Sylvie and Zeke? Is there something supernatural going on? Everything is connected in a way. This was a lovely story.
Next door to Jules and Sylvie lives Sam. He is best friends with the sisters. Sam's brother Elk is back from the war in Afghanistan and not the same. Elk and his best friend Zeke went to war together and only Elk came home. Elk wonders the woods looking for Zeke's spirit or acceptance of what happened. Sam's burning wish was for Elk to come home, but now he wishes to see the legendary catamount who has not been seen in a long time. Signs have been spotted indicating the catamount is back.
At the same time Sylvie is falling to her death, a mother fox is about to give birth. A young female fox named Senna is born with the knowledge that she is not like her brothers or parents. She is connected to the human world and to Jules. There is something she has to do for that grieving family.
This is a wonderful mix of a book. Almost all the characters are dealing with grief of some kind. They all handle it differently which gives readers multiple perspectives on grief. There is anger and sadness and loneliness and denial. All the stages of grief seem to be represented through the different characters. There is also the animal connection through the catamount and the fox. Are these animals reincarnated spirits of Sylvie and Zeke? Is there something supernatural going on? Everything is connected in a way. This was a lovely story.