Ludie's Life - Hardcover

Rylant, Cynthia

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0152053891 ISBN 13: 9780152053895

Publisher: Clarion Books, 2006

Synopsis

Cynthia Rylant returns to her home state of West Virginia with this powerful and evocative collection of poems. In a heartbreaking narrative that flows like a novel, we follow Ludie from childhood to falling in love and getting married, through the birth of her own children, and on into old age. This is the story of one woman’s experiences in a hard­scrabble coal-mining town, a story that brims with universal themes about life, love, and family—and all of the joy, laughter, heartache, and loss that accompany them.

 Would she tell you that six children
were too many,
that some disappointed,
that others surprised,
but that, all in all,
six
were too many
and one
would have been just fine.
Would she tell you that she married
that boy at fifteen
not only because he was tall and kind
but also because
she needed a way out.
               —from LUDIE’S LIFE

About this title

About the Author:

CYNTHIA RYLANT is the acclaimed author of more than a hundred books for young people, including the poetry collection Boris, the beloved Mr. Putter & Tabby series, the Henry and Mudge series, and the novel Missing May, which received the Newbery Medal. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 9 Up—Rylant uses free verse to tell the story of a poor West Virginia country woman, born in 1910, who lives into her 90s. Despite the poverty, Ludie's life seems engaging and rewarding, with six children and a loving husband. Her childhood of stealing table scraps from her stepmother didn't predict a happy life. A variety of vignettes are presented, not necessarily in chronological order, but more like someone in her 90s looking back. Those years include Ludie's marriage at 15 to Rupe, who was tall and kind; her mixed feelings about sex, which meant too many mouths to feed; and the good times with friends and relatives. In some ways, nothing terribly dramatic happens here, except for the incredible changes in lifestyle wrought by the 20th century. Rylant includes luminous moments told in lovely language, such as Ludie's first experience of snow. However, there is a disconnect between this book and its intended audience. These are the kind of stories grandmothers tell, with family connections that bridge the lack of life experience in a young audience. Without that relationship, Ludie's Life seems to address readers old enough to be interested in and grasp the sorrow of having children but no money, or the reward of having Sunday school students return years later to thank you. There's an ageless dignity about the life portrayed here, but it's a story for adults.—Pat Leach, Lincoln City Libraries, NE
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About this edition

• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0152053891
• ISBN 13: 9780152053895
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 116