Bloomability

Bloomability explores the same internal territory as Walk Two Moons, Creech's earlier novel, winner of the Newbery Medal and, like that book, deals with possibilities. Dinnie Doone is 13 years old when her parents consign her to the care of her aunt and uncle and a new life and education in the Swiss school of which her uncle is headmaster. They seek to save her from their chaotic and nomadic life but initially, despite her relatives' warmth and understanding, she wants nothing more than to return to them and travel to each new 'opportunity' - an expression coined by her itinerant father. Gradually, the spell of the mountains, the cosmopolitan mix of new friends, her uncle's wit and sympathy, and her re-acquaintance with her Italian roots brings her a sense of ease and the courage to undertake whatever journey life may present her with. This book is a subtle, sympathetic exploration of a teenager's struggle to discover who she is and why her life has become what it has. Add Creech's own brand of gentle humour and her immensely believable characters and this will carry readers forward from Walk Two Moons - or back again to discover more of this addictive writing.