Piper's Someday

by Ruth Perkinson

It couldn't get any worse for feisty, young Piper Leigh Cliff and her three-legged dog, Someday. But, it does. After losing her parents and brother in a drunk driving accident, she and her dog are forced to live in what she calls the "grossest looking apartment complex" in Goochland County, Virginia. Soon after, she begins to deal with even more trauma as she's swept up in a maelstrom that includes her neglectful, verbally abusive grandfather and his cross-eyed lackey friend, Clover - two old rednecks in love with booze, Nascar, and jaunts to the local bar. Left alone to fend for herself, Piper passes the time by shooting basketball, hanging out at her fort, and smoking stolen cigarettes from her grandfather.

Her luck begins to change, however, when two women, a postal worker and a graduate student, move three doors down. All three begin to forge a relationship despite her grandfather's warnings to stay away. Then, when someone attempts to have his way with Piper, the wheels of fate go into motion, leading everyone to the county pound, juvenile domestic court, and a revelation that will change the course of Piper's life forever. When her own Amber Alert goes off, Lord knows what will happen next.

Piper and Someday must learn the meaning of survival both with and without each other. And, along the way, she learns the lessons of shame, guilt, and what it means to be loyal.

289 pages, Paperback

First published September 24, 2007

About the author

Ruth Perkinson has a degree in English Education from Virginia Commonwealth University and taught both English and Creative Writing in Richmond, Virginia for many years.

She is a student of A Course in Miracles and meets with her study group each Monday night at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Glen Allen. Through her life experiences as a teacher, a spiritual seeker (and finder), and an advocate for the underdog, Perkinson has written six books: five novels and one non-fiction book. The latest is a book on spirituality called Spirit Home.

When she isn’t working part-time at St. Thomas’ Church, she is writing, dog walking or meditating on thoughts that inspire her. One dream is getting a movie made about her second book, Piper’s Someday. The story about a young girl, a dog, and the journey of a lifetime.

For more information on A Course in Miracles, please use the following address or click on the links: Foundation for Inner Peace, P.O. Box 598, Mill Valley, California 94942-0598: www.acim.org and info@acim.org.

If you purchase the newest edition, please find a study group in your area to assist you with the language of the text. It is MUCH easier this way;)

Reviews

[Nora · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel is about a thirteen year-old orphan named Piper who lives with her neglectful alcoholic grandfather. The only bright spot in her life is her loving mutt, Someday. Luckily we are told up front that this is not one of those books where the dogs dies, otherwise the story might be too depressing! Piper's life changes when a caring lesbian couple moves into the neighborhood and begins taking an interest in her.

I really like lesbian fiction and I'm usually not very picky about this genre. I thought that the plot, pacing, and writing in Piper's Someday were fine in general, but there were a couple things that soured the book for me so that I'm afraid I didn't really enjoy this novel so much. This book wasn't really for me. The first section of the book had a lot of epithets such as "r#tarded" and the n word. I know that this was intended to show the bigoted environment that Piper was growing up in, but every time I read these words it felt like a punch in the stomach. Although the novel is about a 13 year old girl, and has a storyline like that of a YA book, this book doesn't use any of the tricks that YA or middle grade books use to convey hate speech, unreliable narrators, etc without being offensive.

Then there was an African-American character named Shaneefa who was described like this: "She was big and black as night. Her lips were thick and her nose was flat and her eyelashes were humongous." Shaneefa talks in patois right out of Mark Twain ("Das where de dogs go 'fo dey go to the big hou upstairs") which I don't think is an acceptable way to render dialect in the 21st century. I think the writer meant to show Piper's innocent, uncritical eyes. However, this perhaps-unintended racial caricature makes me extend an invitation to the author to examine unconscious bias. The editor should not have been asleep at the wheel here either.

[Bett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some books are so good they set you on fire. This is one of those books, destined to become one of those classics everyone should read, and trust me, you will want to read this novel.
Piper is a twelve-year-old girl. Someday is her dog. In Piper, author Ruth Perkinson has created an unforgettable character, reminiscent of Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird, and I mention this literary classic intentionally. Piper never does get around to reading that bird book during the most pivotal summer of her young life, but if she had, she would have found a kindred soul.
Piper has had more tragedy than anyone needs to bear, certainly more than any child should ever have to face. Creating an unerringly true voice for her protagonist, Perkinson deals with the facts of Piper's existence in a matter-of-fact tone that sounds just perfect. Piper tells us she has three holes, and she cannot bear a fourth one, and she spends all her time trying to make sure that fourth hole in her life, her heart, doesn't happen. She bargains with God, she tries to be under everyone's radar, she and she clings to the one thing she has left, her dog, another damaged survivor. Piper's Someday, a crippled, neglected speciman, is all she has.
Piper tells her own story, and she tells us right up front, Someday doesn't die.
This is a story about loss, guilt, love and loyalty. It is written with skill and scope, allowing us into a young girl's life, letting us see through her eyes, hear her voice, feel her fear and confusion and hope.
This novel should go on every library shelf, be on every required reading list, and earn its place along side the book Piper eventually read, To Kill a Mockingbird, and other inspiring classics like it, those books we love to read and read again.

[Yasmin · Rating 2 out of 5]

"In her portrayal of childhood and a lead young female character, Perkinson’s clearly drawing upon Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. That book is even mentioned constantly as Piper’s holiday reading. Some of the similarities are so close as to straddle the line between homage and, well, needless copying. Take for instance, a pivotal rescue scene in the book, which involves a neighbor, Mr. Wilson. Piper only knows him and his wife as the elderly and somewhat ominously silent couple living next door until a pivotal moment that involves a confrontation with Clover. Suddenly, Mr. Wilson bounds to the rescue, appearing from nowhere to save the day. Afterwards, he turns to Piper and asks, “You okay?...We”ve been watching you, you know…Me and Mrs. Wilson.” Hey, Boo."
Read the rest of my review here:
http://www.yasminnair.net/content/rut...

[Marjorie Elwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the voice of the narrator in this novel about a young lesbian coming of age in Goochland County, Virginia. I was drawn into her world where her most important ally is her deformed dog, "Someday" (as in: "You'll have a dog someday").

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet book that keeps you turning the pages.

[Ulla · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really touching wonderful story!

[Piper Draconi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Looking forward to the next installment "Breaking Spirit Bridge", all ready on order.