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The Year the Swallows Came Early

3.69 of 5 stars 3.69 · rating details · 567 ratings · 178 reviews

Eleanor "Groovy" Robinson loves cooking and plans to go to culinary school just as soon as she's old enough. But even Groovy's thoughtfully--planned menus won't fix the things that start to go wrong the year she turns eleven--suddenly, her father is in jail, her best friend's long-absent mother reappears, and the swallows that make their annual migration to her hometown ar...more

Hardcover, 288 pages

Published February 3rd 2009 by HarperCollins (first published January 1st 2009)

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May 16, 2013 Barb Middleton rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic, friendship, forgiveness

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. As a sixth grader I remember cooking all sorts of desserts. My best friend and I would make kringles or cakes and pies from scratch. I didn't realize she was my yellow brick road to cookdom until I started cooking on my own. My brick road crumbled once I went solo. That's why I get a kick out of authors who have protagonists who love to cook and are good at it like sixth grader Eleanor. She's so good that she starts selling her food at a local restaurant to save up for chef school. But cooking i...more As a sixth grader I remember cooking all sorts of desserts. My best friend and I would make kringles or cakes and pies from scratch. I didn't realize she was my yellow brick road to cookdom until I started cooking on my own. My brick road crumbled once I went solo. That's why I get a kick out of authors who have protagonists who love to cook and are good at it like sixth grader Eleanor. She's so good that she starts selling her food at a local restaurant to save up for chef school. But cooking isn't just a passion for Eleanor, it also calms her inside, something she needs desperately as she watches her dad get carted off to jail. Her mom won't tell her what is going on and she turns to cooking to settle down. As the situation unfolds, she's spitting mad at her dad's actions. She turns to her friend, Frankie, whose problems are similar to hers and the two find words of wisdom from the homeless man, Tom.

This story has some inconsistencies in the characters and plot but for the most part has a nice message about forgiving others and learning to have empathy. Frankie has the same emotional arc as Eleanor in a subplot but both are dealing with different situations. Eleanor's family deals with addiction and Frankie deals with abandonment issues. Eleanor's mother doesn't talk to her when the author wants to advance the plot. This is supposed to add tension but it drags out the action and makes the plot forced. There was one part where I guessed what the dad had done so early it was a boring build-up to the big "ah-ha" moment. Unfortunately I've had two relatives steal money a grandparent left to them so it was a predictable plot element for me. I doubt students will catch it.

Eleanor's mom is presented as flaky and caring. The fluctuations of being a responsible and irresponsible parent made for a convincing dysfunctional family, but also a contradictory character. The mom rushing off to give herself a deep conditioning treatment when she doesn't want to talk to Eleanor or keeping her up until midnight is irresponsible, but other times she makes an effort to talk to Eleanor and shows she cares. I didn't find her particularly bright with her superstitious mumbo-jumbo and I didn't think she was respectful to Eleanor (hiding her dad's letters) and to the father when he comes back from jail (she won't cut his hair even though she is a stylist). I thought the parents would get a divorce because of the mom's attitude but she is still going through her emotional arc of forgiveness. I didn't find her all that likable or consistent and the harshness of putting her husband in jail versus having an intervention made me think they were getting a divorce.

Dad is presented as caring and loving at the start, not irresponsible, but he steals money from his daughter. We learn how irresponsible and not too smart he is as the story progresses too. He isn't really presented as a gambler well enough to justify the harsh actions. I also had questions such as can a person be put in jail for spending their child's trust fund? If he's the guardian doesn't that mean he can get at the money? Isn't it legal since his signature is on the deposit box access slip? I wanted more explanation as to why the mom chose this course of action and legally how much he had to steal to be put in jail and how long he'd be in jail. He had just gotten a job and couldn't they have come up with a solution where he sets aside money for Eleanor? He seems reasonable. More importantly, if he has a gambling habit he needs intervention not jail-time. In this story the jail-time supposedly turns him around, but in the real world that isn't going to happen with someone who has a serious gambling problem. And giving the trailer to a homeless guy, Tom? I think this is supposed to show he's kind, but it didn't make sense to me in the plot. I struggled with this part of the plot being authentic.

Marisol didn't come alive for me and I didn't find Frankie's habit of chewing Tums endearing. Many people love this book, but it didn't strike a chord with me. While the themes of friendship and forgiveness amidst a family crisis are worthwhile, I found the execution, "meh." This book did remind me of Polly Horvath's books with characters who love to cook. I would recommend her novels to students who liked this book. I also thought of the book, "Turtle in Paradise," that develops an interesting mother who is unable to take care of herself. This book's mom is not that extreme. I also thought of "Three Times Lucky," because the plot revolves around a restaurant where the characters come and go, but there is no similarity in plot or character development. This is one book you'll have to judge yourself. I know it is one that won't stay with me.

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Mar 06, 2012 IndyPL Kids Book Blog rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kid-life

Groovy Robinson has a dream and a plan to go with it. She’s a foodie and she loves to cook. She helps out at a local restaurant and hopes to go to culinary (cooking) school someday with an inheritance left to her by her great-grandma.

Much to Groovy’s surprise, her own father is arrested right in front of her. His crime? Taking her inheritance and gambling it away. How did he get caught? Groovy’s exasperated mother turned him in herself. Groovy is hurt, mad and confused. And then there’s Groovy’s...more

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Oct 14, 2009 Jill Williamson rated it 4 of 5 stars

In Kathryn Fitzmaurice’s book The Year the Swallows Came Early, eleven-year-old Eleanor “Groovy” Robinson loves cooking. She’s writing her own cookbook and plans to attend culinary arts school someday if she can afford it. Even her best friend Frankie’s stepbrother, who owns a local store, gives her some secret family recipes to go in her special cookbook.

Things start going wrong when her daddy is arrested as they’re walking through town. Since no one will tell Groovy why, she hurries to her mo...more In Kathryn Fitzmaurice’s book The Year the Swallows Came Early, eleven-year-old Eleanor “Groovy” Robinson loves cooking. She’s writing her own cookbook and plans to attend culinary arts school someday if she can afford it. Even her best friend Frankie’s stepbrother, who owns a local store, gives her some secret family recipes to go in her special cookbook.

Things start going wrong when her daddy is arrested as they’re walking through town. Since no one will tell Groovy why, she hurries to her momma’s salon to find out. Momma is in no hurry to let Groovy in on the details, but when she finally does explain, the truth breaks Groovy’s heart. Groovy’s sorrow for her daddy evolves into anger and Groovy turns her back on everything that makes her life special: her friends, her family, and her cooking. Nothing matters anymore. But when life brings unexpected surprises, Groovy discovers that there is more to every story. Sure, sometimes people just mess up, but sometimes the situation is out of their control. Either way, Groovy needs to decide if forgiveness is worth the risk.

Having recently read Because of Winn-Dixie, this book felt quite similar. Bother were in first person and about young girls, so I guess that’s why. This book is a great deal longer, but easy to read and entertaining. It’s a character-driven novel, as well. No edge-of-your-seat action adventure in this one. I liked Groovy and the way she saw the world. I liked how she thought her mama’s obsession with horoscopes were just superstitions and didn’t apply her mama’s believes to her own.

I still don’t know why her father was in jail. From what I can figure out, what he did was low and selfish, but completely within his rights as Groovy’s father. I wish the author would have given me a little bit more there to help with the realism of Groovy’s dad’s sentencing, because it didn’t make any sense to me.

My favorite part in the book is when Groovy shows her chocolate-covered strawberries to Marisol, a girl she thought was a bit snobby about her artistic talents. But since Marisol had shared about her love of drawing, Groovy took a chance to reveal a bit of her heart—her love of cooking—and in doing so, Groovy found a great friend. Sometimes friendship is a risk, but isn’t it always a risk worth taking? And if that’s true, isn’t forgiveness a risk worth taking, as well?
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Jun 20, 2009 Sarah BT rated it 5 of 5 stars

Way back in September, I attended a conference given by the children's division of ALA. HarperCollins was nice enough to pass out a handful of Arc's to all us book hungry librarians and The Year the Swallows Came Early was one of them. I stuffed the books in my new "I Can Read" bag (also from the conference-gotta love free stuff!) and carried them home on the plane, only to not really look at the books for awhile. A couple of weeks ago I picked this one up to review for TeensReadToo.com and fell...more

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Apr 11, 2009 Eva Mitnick rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children

It’s bad enough that Eleanor Robinson (called “Groovy” by her father and all her friends) has to watch her dad being arrested, but then she learns that her mom is the one who turned him in – for stealing Groovy’s $25,000 inheritance from her grandmother and losing it betting on the wrong horse.

Not only does Groovy’s dream of going to culinary school some day start to look unlikely, but she’s angry at her feckless father, whom she also can’t help missing. Her best friend Frankie is having problem...more It’s bad enough that Eleanor Robinson (called “Groovy” by her father and all her friends) has to watch her dad being arrested, but then she learns that her mom is the one who turned him in – for stealing Groovy’s $25,000 inheritance from her grandmother and losing it betting on the wrong horse.

Not only does Groovy’s dream of going to culinary school some day start to look unlikely, but she’s angry at her feckless father, whom she also can’t help missing. Her best friend Frankie is having problems, too – his mom suddenly shows up two years after leaving on what was supposed to be a two-week trip, and Frankie can’t bring himself to forgive her.

Just a few characters in Groovy’s small California town are highlighted – her beauty-stylist mom, Frankie’s stepbrother (and guardian) Luis who runs the Swallow Shop and Ferry, a mysterious street person named Mr. Tom, and a classmate named Marisol, whose ambition matches Groovy’s own. The characterization was the least effective part of the book for me – although all characters certainly felt realistic in both action and speech, no one came alive for me or felt particularly fleshed out or intriguing. Well, except that I wouldn’t mind Luis as a son-in-law. Mr. Tom, with his wise and insightful (though out of left field, as befits a mysterious street person) comments, feels a bit forced, but his physical description is vivid.

The easy tone and fluid writing make reading this book a breezy pleasure; the pace pulls readers along at an even clip. Earthquakes and the return of the San Juan Capistrano swallows, both slightly heavy-handed metaphors in the story, effectively evoke Groovy’s seaside town. Groovy is a likable girl with a huge amount of energy and drive (something I always find awe-inspiring in any person, as I have to fight off the urge to drift lackadaisically through life) who narrates her story with simplicity, immediacy, and insight.

This is a pleasant read that will appeal to kids who enjoy realistic fiction about friends and family.
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Mar 11, 2012 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-fiction, realistic-fiction, website

Groovy dreams of going to cooking school. She cooks for her family and keeps a book of all her recipes. Her life is going well until the day her dad is arrested right in front of her. She finds out that her mom turned him in because he stole and gambled away Groovy's inheritance. Now Groovy has to come to terms with her anger and sense of betrayal at her parents actions.

This is a wonderful story about a girl coming to grips with her situation. She has to grow up and face the fact that her paren...more

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Feb 10, 2010 Josiah rated it 2 of 5 stars

2009 was a notable year for debut juvenile novelists: Suzanne LaFleur, Kurtis Scaletta, Nan Marino, Ann Burg and Kate Feiffer are just a few among the exceptional authors who brought forth their initial novel over the course of the year. In my view Kathryn Fitzmaurice belongs right up near the top of that group.

The Year the Swallows Came Early is a rhythmically pleasing story, told with great simplicity and warm, well-detailed characters. Groovy Robinson is a girl who lives an interesting life...more 2009 was a notable year for debut juvenile novelists: Suzanne LaFleur, Kurtis Scaletta, Nan Marino, Ann Burg and Kate Feiffer are just a few among the exceptional authors who brought forth their initial novel over the course of the year. In my view Kathryn Fitzmaurice belongs right up near the top of that group.

The Year the Swallows Came Early is a rhythmically pleasing story, told with great simplicity and warm, well-detailed characters. Groovy Robinson is a girl who lives an interesting life in the culturally diverse southern California area, and her friends and interests reflect the nature of that life very realistically. We come into the story just as Groovy's life hits a major rough patch, with her father inexplicably being led off to jail and her mother seeming to want to delay explaining to Groovy what happened for as long as possible. Groovy's friend, Frankie, has family drama of his own to deal with. His mother has returned home after a mysterious two-year absence, and he wants nothing to do with her. All is not as it seems in Frankie or Groovy's case, however, and as the story ambles along at its own remarkably comfortable pace we begin to see the full picture for what it truly is.

The real main issue confronting Groovy and Frankie is one of personal forgiveness. It's not about forgiving a person because they're necessarily deserving of absolution, or because one has a strong desire to have them in their lives again. It's more that forgiveness is a key, of sorts, to a door that could never open on its own, and without that key there are parts of one's life that can never be seen. Once you use the key and open that door unexpected and wonderful things can happen, either directly or indirectly, that would have never otherwise been triggered. Forgiveness, at the center of its essence, enriches people.

There are some really nice perceptive thoughts in The Year the Swallows Came Early. Groovy's narrative voice is calm and clear, but also expressive of honest emotion, and because of that I was totally comfortable being with her right from the book's beginning. I'll never forget the metaphor of the dandelion that Groovy's father stepped on, not realizing that it was under his foot, and how Groovy felt just like the dandelion, "stepped on" by her father because he didn't pay attention to what he was doing; then, when she later saw a dandelion seed floating through the air, she realized that even though the dandelion itself had been crushed, a piece of it still survived; the seeds had floated away and had the power to renew its life again, but in a place that would be less risky than before, with greater care taken. Groovy realized that people were like this too, and the connection is soul-stirring both for her and the reader.

I certainly am pleased with the first official literary showing from Kathryn Fitzmaurice. The Year the Swallows Came Early is a book that shows excellent writing aptitude, and a lot of potential for future greatness from its author. I would give it two and a half stars. (less)

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Dec 02, 2012 Shonna Froebel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This children's novel is set in the California town of San Juan Capistrano. Eleanor Robinson has the nickname Groovy, given to her by her father. She loves to cook and constantly works to develop her skills planning to go to cooking school one day. She is friends with the owners of a local restaurant The Swallow and often helps them out. Groovy's father is a bit of a drifter, and keeps changing jobs, while her mother is a hairstylist hooked on horoscopes. As the book opens, Groovy's dad is pulle...more

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Jun 27, 2010 Kerry Cerra rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mg

Eleven year old Groovy—yes, she’s a cool as her name—has all the ingredients for a happy life. Add one part Mom, one part Dad, a sprinkling of good friends, and a dash of a beautiful seaside town. Mix all together and Groovy has a perfect childhood. Until the day her father is taken away in a police car. Groovy finds herself running to tell Mama what happened, only to learn that Mama herself is the one who called the police. As Groovy learns the truth about her Dad and that her inheritance from...more

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Oct 31, 2009 Sandra Stiles rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grades, realistic-fiction

Groovy Robinson wants to go to cooking school. She plans and cooks all of their meals. Her father is her biggest fan of her cooking. That is until he is hauled off to jail. Groovy runs and tells her mother. She is shocked to find that her mother is the one who called the police. She is more upset to find out the reason why. How could her father steal from her? Frankie lives with his stepbrother Luis and the run Swallows restaurant. Frankie is bitter because his mother left him with out telling h...more

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Feb 24, 2009 Bellezza rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2009

What's worse than having a mother who checks her horoscope every day in order to plan her life? A father who steals from you. Such is Groovy Robinson's life, told through her eyes in a poignant and beautiful story about what it means to be thirteen. About what it means to have flawed parents.

The story opens with Groovy and her Daddy walking to town when Officer Miguel stops them. He arrests her father then and there, and takes him to jail, and we're as suprised as Grovvy is with this sudden and...more

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May 23, 2010 Jeannie rated it 3 of 5 stars

This folksy book is enjoyable. Any book that declares hope for children in less than ideal family situations is great, especially when it has strong characters with dreams that they are working towards even at young ages.

Some of the writing drove me crazy (but then that's a short drive).
Books which try for a "folksy" feel often have a hard time with time periods, and this one in particular does. I understand that authors may want the timeless approach, but really can you have, for one example,...more

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Jul 01, 2009 Andrea rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 3rd grade - 6th grade

Shelves: children-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 07, 2011 Tanja rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chn-realistic-fiction

In this first novel by Kathryn Fitzmaurice, Eleanor "Groovy" Robinson is faced with one of the hardest and most painful challenges in life: forgiving a loved one who has badly let you down. In this case it is her father who not only ends up in prison but as it turns out has lied to her and stolen from her. Groovy has an amazing group of friends (seemingly more mature than most of the adults in this novel) who encourage her and support her in making things right again in her life. I admire the pa...more

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Jul 25, 2010 Nora rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 4th grade girls

Shelves: older-elementary

Eleven year old Groovy is with her father as he's arrested and taken off to jail. Her mother doesn't seem surprised, and we learn it's because her mother actually called the cops.

This is the story of how Groovy learns to deal with her father's mistakes, and finally forgive him. I liked the story and know of students who will like it, too. But, there are some plot problems for me.

For example, Groovy's mother is maybe a worse parent than her father, and these major flaws are never discussed by Gr...more

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Mar 11, 2009 Becky rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love this book. I do. I love the narrator, Eleanor "Groovy" Robinson. I love that she loves to cook. That she is passionate about something and knows what she wants. That she has a way about her--a special way of seeing the world and making those connections that others might miss out on. Her "foodology" for example. I love her vulnerability too. How she has--or had--a simple and idealistic way of seeing the world, but this innocence, this naivety is challenged during the course of the book. L...more

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Mar 30, 2013 Roberto Penas rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommendations do make a difference - this is one of those "literary" books I would not normally pick up were it not for rave reviews. Yes, it is a
"quiet middle grade" book that would probably never hit the NYT bestseller list but it is memorable all the same. A coming of age story with deep themes: betrayal & forgiveness but voice/character cannot be underrated. The narrator has a remarkable distinctive voice that reminds me
of Sharon Creech but with with a mature, west-coast feel. A weigh...more

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Jan 08, 2010 Terrie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-realistic-fiction, 2011-beehive-nominee

I really loved this beautifully written first novel by Katheryn Fitzmaurice. This is the story of 6th grader Groovy Robinson, who loves to cook and hopes to someday go to cooking school. The people in Groovy's life include her astrology reading mother, her father who goes to jail in the first chapter, her best friend Frankie, who has his own family issues, a schoolmate Marisol, who becomes a good friend when they discover something they have in common, and her long dead great grandmother whom sh...more

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Jun 20, 2009 Melsmith rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: summer-reading

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 15, 2009 Emily Gregosky rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: upper elementary readers

Recommended to Emily by: Columbia University teachers college

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Dec 21, 2010 Rayda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens_lit, reading_bowl

What is it with the need of children's lit writers to give their characters odd names? This book's main character is "Groovy." And, what is it with children's lit writer's need to make their character's home lives broken: no mother for one character (until she suddenly shows up), no father for another character (because he "stole" her inheritance and lost it all betting on a horse). The book is very well written, and is quite quirky in a California kind of way (also its setting). But is a neithe...more

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Jan 04, 2010 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: girls, mother-daughter, newbery-candidate10, battle-of-the-books

I read this by audiobook and the girl (I believe the author's daughter)who read it had the perfect voice for this character. That may have influenced how much I liked it. The intriguing premise will make it easy to booktalk. Groovey's mother turns her father into the police for stealing their daughter's inheritance meant to fund her training to be a professional chef. Groovey adored her father, so now she must put her head around how this could happen as well as how to forgive both of her parent...more

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Jul 10, 2008 Sydney rated it 5 of 5 stars

A true gem--beautiful writing, wonderful characters. Pick this one up in 2009.

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Mar 16, 2010 Barb rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: from-gs

This is another book where neither the title nor the cover makes it jump into readers' hands. But it has earned a number of awards, so I thought I needed to read it -- GOOD move! Sweet family story where the father, whom the young girl main character obviously adores, is stopped by the police as she walks him to work and is taken to jail. She doesn't know why; her mother knows but won't tell her. As we get little clues on what's going on, we get to know the characters and the dynamics of the fam...more

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Jul 12, 2010 Lindsay Waddell rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-young-adult

This is one of 18 books that we'll be reading for the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl next year. I thought this book was sweet and delivered an okay message. Sometimes I feel that children's book authors try a little too hard - ie. using too many metaphors. It's kind of my pet peeve because just because you can write a metaphor, doesn't mean it's the appropriate time to use one, or ten. BUT - even though this author is guilty of that, I kind of liked this book. She does a good job of developing the ch...more

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Jun 11, 2010 Jennifer Danko rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-lit

Kathryn Fitzmaurice’s debut book proves to be a heartwarming coming of age story. Fitzmaurice creates a character that is easy to fall in love with. The reader will want to grow and learn Eleanor. Eleanor’s life experiences the summer she turns eleven can be more than any child can handle, but Fitzmaurice makes her real life obstacles relatable and encouraging as Eleanor pushes through them. Young adult readers will enjoy this powerful heartfelt story as Eleanor learns there is more to life than...more

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Mar 09, 2010 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: grades 5-7

Recommended to Sarah by: 5/6 list

Shelves: children-realistic, audio

Groovy’s life always seemed pretty normal—until her father gets arrested one Saturday morning as they were walking together. When she explains what happened to her mom, her mom’s unconcerned reaction seems crazy until she tells Groovy that she was the one who called the police.

Groovy cannot comprehend why her mother would do such a thing! What could her father have done? After putting off an explanation for what seems like ages to Groovy, her mom explains that Groovy was left an inheritance to u...more

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Dec 08, 2009 Susan P rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: j-fiction

Pretty story. I can see this as earning a Newbery honor or something. At the beginning of the book, Groovy's dad is arrested. It turns out that her mom is the one who called the police on him - and she did so because he took all of Groovy's interitance and gambled it away. Groovy had been planning on using that money for cooking school - and now it's all gone. She is shocked that her dad could do something so horrible, and has a hard time forgiving him. At the same time her best friend Frankie i...more

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Nov 09, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Sarah Bean the Green Bean Teen Queen for TeensReadToo.com

Eleanor "Groovy" Robinson dreams of going to cooking school. She plans menus and tries recipes and hopes to be like Betty Crocker.

But the year Groovy turns eleven is the year everything changes. Her daddy is suddenly taken away to jail, her best friend's long-lost mother makes a return, and the trusty faithful swallows that migrate through her town appear early.

Growing up is hard and families can be difficult - and Groovy is...more

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Jan 01, 2009 Wisteria Leigh rated it 5 of 5 stars

Kathyrn Fitzmaurice has captured all the flavors of a successful first novel in The Year the Swallows Came Early. The year the swallows came early is not the only anomaly that occurs during the year you follow Eleanor � Groovy� Robinson in this delightful debut novel by Kathryn Fitzmaurice. [return][return]Eleanor Groovy Robinson is an endearing character with a heart as big as sunshine. As the story begins, Groovy is disturbed when her daddy is picked up by Officer Miguel and taken away in the...more

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About Kathryn Fitzmaurice

When Kathryn was thirteen years old, her mother sent her to New York City over the summer to visit her grandmother, who was a science fiction author. After seeing how her grandmother could make the characters in her books into whomever she wanted, Kathryn decided that she, too, wanted to become a writer someday. Years later, after teaching elementary school, and taking many classes, she now writes...more

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