Pinocchio's Sister - Hardcover

Slepian, Jan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 039922811X ISBN 13: 9780399228117

Publisher: Philomel Books, 1995

Synopsis

Martha joins forces with Stashu, a young Polish acrobat, to get rid of her ventriloquist father's dummy, a pretty wooden doll named Iris, when it appears that the mysteriously powerful Iris is replacing Martha in her father's life.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

Grade 5-7?Martha was her father's pride and joy until a family scandal humiliated him, leaving him a broken man. Overwhelmed by his lot in life, Mr. Rosedale, a ventriloquist on the 1928 vaudeville circuit, can no longer relate to his daughter. Instead, he devotes all his attention to Iris, the well-dressed, smart-talking, wooden puppet that he uses in his act. Convinced that her father loves the female Pinocchio more than he loves her, Martha becomes so jealous that she vows to eliminate the offending creature once and for all. In a final, desperate attempt to destroy her "sister" (as Mr. Rosedale foolishly calls Iris), Martha finally cries out for the help she needs and, thanks to the kindness of her friends, acrobat Stashu and boarding house matron, Mama Pelosi, is able to put her life back on track. Occupying a world very different from the insular one that Mr. Rosedale has created for himself, Martha and her two friends are the most well-rounded characters. Their story is well told and moves at a brisk pace, incorporating many details of the lives of traveling vaudevillians. In the same vein as Slepian's The Broccoli Tapes (Putnam, 1989), this is a tale of intense emotion, focusing on the need for and the power of love. While Martha ultimately finds love, her father is left with only the memories of his career and the knowledge that he has failed his daughter. Although the print size, cover illustration, and length of the novel will appeal to young readers, the challenging vocabulary and somewhat abrupt?and rather dark?ending are more suited to older audiences. Consider using this selection as a discussion-starter on the effects of emotional abuse.?Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

Set in the days of vaudeville, this psychological thriller charts the bizarre antipathy of a ventriloquist's daughter for her stage sister, a ventriloquist's dummy. After his second wife runs away with another performer, Martha's brooding father all but ignores his daughter. On stage, he makes her the butt of Iris the puppet's jokes. Martha finds some consolation in two new acquaintances: sassy Mrs. Pelosi, a retired vaudevillian, and Stashu, the youngest member of a Polish acrobat team. Neither friend, however, can root out the growing hatred Martha feels toward Iris or squelch Martha's scheme to destroy her wooden rival. Effectively juxtaposing realism with a hint of illusion, Slepian (Risk and Roses; The Broccoli Tapes) explores the grit behind vaudeville glitter and the spirit of its troupers. Her chilling account offers a provocative glimpse at the thin line between playing a role and being bound by one. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Philomel Books
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 039922811X
• ISBN 13: 9780399228117
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 122