Massachusetts, California, Timbuktu

by Stephanie Rosenfeld

After mother and daughters hit the road, Justine desperately tries to navigate the changing terrain of home, family, and adolescence, as Colleen slips further into despondency. Forced to take over all responsibilities, Justine realizes it’s up to her to make sure their little family survives this “grand adventure.” Now if she only knew how to do that. . . .

Genres: Fiction

416 pages, Paperback

First published April 29, 2003

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book at a .99 book store years ago, and I just love it. I've read this book twice now. The book takes you on a journey with 2 sisters and their dysfunctional mother. The author has created rich characters, and you find yourself hoping fervently that they are going to be okay. The book DOES get pretty bleak as their mother spirals further down into profound depression, and yet you just know somehow that the two sisters are going to be alright. Somehow, as a reader, you find yourself despising the mother but feeling sorry for her simultaneously. The book is narrated by the older sister Justine, and I just loved her character. It was really interesting to see how the sisters changed as things got more desperate. My only issue is I am dying to know what happened to the sisters after the book ends.

[karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a great book. The plight of Rona and Justine was depressing and I couldn't stop reading to find out what happened to them! I was highly surprised that I liked this book so much since I hadn't heard of it before and picked it up on a whim from Strand.

[Aryana Gaines · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book went on for too long for nothing to happen. The book is an account of two young girls living with their flighty and negligent mother, narrated by the 12 year old. The mother moves herself and the girls all over the country seeking male companionship. The writing is good, and it’s a realistic account. Sometimes bad things happen and nothing is done about it. But it was really a let down as it lacked a real climax and none of the characters were written in a way that gets you very attached to them or their story.

[Anne Marie Appel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn't get through this book fast enough. The only thing that kept me reading was hoping Colleen, the mother, would get her act together. It's a sad commentary for today's world, what kids are going through these days. I empathized completely with these two young girls. I understand that some people are helpless to help themselves but where are the other "adults in the room" to step in and help?

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I liked about this book is that it that it did not have a happy ending you’d want it to which I think makes it more real. A mixed up mother with two daughters who just keeps making bad decisions- even if they are the results of a whopping dose of mental illness. Makes me wonder how many kids are out there in this kind of environment. Heart breaking.

[Terry Cowdrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are some perfect sentences in this book, descriptions that are both relatable but also magical in how apt they are. The story within the story—Justine’s school assignment of the pioneer diary—describes the hardships of the times that parallel the main story so well. Every adult character is complex and, to a degree, sympathetic. It all just feels so real.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heart. Breaking.
Beautiful imagery of every day thoughts that run through our minds.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. As others said this is the story of a girl who has to take care of herself, her younger sister, and her mother who is emotionally unstable. The author starts her story in California and moves them to the Amherst/Northampton area of Massachusetts. There is a sub-story where the narrator is doing a school assignment. She writes a pioneer story moving her characters from east to west. I was tempted to skip over this sub-story until I realized how much it was ingrained in the main story.

I found this book because I was looking for a story that used western Massachusetts as it's location. So for me, a western Mass local, it was fun to read and see how the author mixed up real places and fictionalized them. If you know the area you will recognize that she took places that are in Northampton and put them in Amherst for example. There is of course the disclaimer that this is a book of fiction so yes, she can do as she wants and that's part of the fun for me of reading it. The author herself did live in the Amherst area while going to UMass Amherst so she has some familiarity with the area. She's also lived in California, and I don't know where else. So she was able to draw on her memories and experiences for the settings.

Second, I grew up with a dysfunctional mother and a younger sibling, like a lot of people did. Now my mother didn't do ALL the things that happened in this story, but she did do some of them. So I could really relate to the characters and as tough as it was to read, it was good writing. I cried more than once.

I read a library copy, but I plan to buy a used copy so I can go back to it at my leisure again and again.

From what I can tell, the author has only published one other book besides this one. I haven't read it. She has a unique voice and I really enjoyed her writing here.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tells how a young girl named Justine and her sister Rona have to deal with their difficult, pessimistic, hopeless mother. I've never met such character (the mum) who always feels so low in her life. Having that kind of mum is depressing...reading this book is not. This book is still an interesting one, maybe the mum makes the whole story interesting, don't we like to see the dark side of other person sometimes?

[Rapidio · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is absolutely tough to take, but well worth reading. A story of a 'tween' who must assume care of her younger sister and herself when it becomes apparent that her mother can no longer cope.
Part of the book is in the form of an assignment the girl must do for school which relates the tale of a Donner like journey in the 19th(?) century that quickly becomes an allegory for her own situation. Some have called this 'chick lit', but I feel it is much more than this. Highly recommended.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about an eleven year old girl forced to become the adult in the family. She struggles managing her little sister and her very depressed mom. The story is heartwrenching from the start to the end.

[Mich · Rating 4 out of 5]

chick lit- 12 yr old girl has to be the 'mom' in the family since her mom appears to be a 'lost soul' as they travel around the country looking for a boyfriend for her mother. they land at her aunts house where she tries to have a 'normal'life but her mom then moves them around some more.

[Camille · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love mother-daughter stories and this one doesn't disappoint. Rosenfeld takes an unflinching look at the affect mental illness has on a single-parent family and really mines your emotions. I could've done without the extracts from the pioneer diary is my only complaint.

[Rebekkila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11446795

I listened to this book on my way to South carolina. It kind of made me sad.

[Linsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book. The characters brought out deep emotions. It was easy to feel what the girls were going through.

[Pam]

06/22/08 rec via bookmooch

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Coming of age/mental illness story. A bit amateurish.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book - the characters were so believable and I wished the story was longer so I knew what happened to the sisters in the end. Highly recommended.

[Saleh MoonWalker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Onvan : Massachusetts, California, Timbuktu - Nevisande : Stephanie Rosenfeld - ISBN : 034544826X - ISBN13 : 9780345448262 - Dar 416 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 2003

[Ashley S · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was too real. Gut-wrenching depiction of mental illness in a parent and its effect on the children.