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Homecoming (The Tillerman Cycle Book 1)

Cynthia Voigt

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Jan 22, 2015 Morgan rated it liked it · review of another edition

Homecoming was an easy read. Voigt's style of writing is clear and generally pretty simple to understand. There is a dusting of above-average-difficulty words throughout the story; however, they provide a challenge to the young adult readers this novel is geared towards.

My personal analysis: Homecoming was good, but not great. It quickly grew repetitive. How far from their destination are the Tillermans now? How much money do they have left this time? Will they be able to eat tomorrow? What alt Homecoming was an easy read. Voigt's style of writing is clear and generally pretty simple to understand. There is a dusting of above-average-difficulty words throughout the story; however, they provide a challenge to the young adult readers this novel is geared towards.

My personal analysis: Homecoming was good, but not great. It quickly grew repetitive. How far from their destination are the Tillermans now? How much money do they have left this time? Will they be able to eat tomorrow? What altruistic adult is going to save their hides this time? The characters were generally well-written and had decent character development, with a few exceptions. The plot did lure the reader in: 4 minors abandoned by their crazy mother must travel hundreds of miles down the coast. WILL THEY SURVIVE? However, I believe Voigt left some things to be desired of the execution of her plot. Between the two parts in which the story was written, there was a nearly identical plot. I personally would have lied something to change. I found myself skimming the descriptions of yet another body of water. Yes, yes, Dicey feels at home near the water. Got it. Let's move on.

Teacher analysis: If I was growing bored with the story line, how are my (potential) students going to feel? If I can't "sell" them this novel, there is no way that I'll be able to make it work in my classroom. So, let us assume that I did indeed manage to sell them on it. DOES THIS NOVEL CONTAIN PEDAGOGICAL VALUE? Of course it does! What values I choose to focus on depend upon the lens I ask my students to use. Are we going to skim through and focus on the tropes that this novel offers us? Are we going to pick it apart based on gender roles? Are we going to examine it through a race-based lens? There is only one black person clearly distinguised in this novel; that speaks for itself, of course. I could bring in an outside play or short story of novel or movie or video clip or song of some sort. While I cannot think of one off the top of my head, I am sure there must be something out there that would suit this as a tiered text.

Closing thoughts on Homecoming: it does have value. However, you may need to work a little harder to find that value. And may consider utilizing only significant chunks of the novel instead of the entire, 400-page behemoth (so says the high school students). ...more

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Jan 22, 2015 Matthew Troxel rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I didn't know what to expect when I picked up Homecoming. Young Adult novels where the parent are vacant or non-existent are a dime a dozen. It is an established trope for a reason, mostly to get the adults out of the way to put the kids in the spotlight. Fun happens. Shenanigans ensue. What if a group of children had to deal with the actual ramifications of being parentless. That is how Homecoming and the Tillerman Cycle starts. Dicey and her three siblings are left in a station wagon in a mall I didn't know what to expect when I picked up Homecoming. Young Adult novels where the parent are vacant or non-existent are a dime a dozen. It is an established trope for a reason, mostly to get the adults out of the way to put the kids in the spotlight. Fun happens. Shenanigans ensue. What if a group of children had to deal with the actual ramifications of being parentless. That is how Homecoming and the Tillerman Cycle starts. Dicey and her three siblings are left in a station wagon in a mall parking lot after their mother vanishes.

Dicey is a very mature and relatable teenage girl and each of the siblings are brought to life. I particularly clicked with James, the boy whose hunger for knowledge couldn't be sated. The Tillerman are why you read this story and while Voigt takes her time to introduce them, you will find that each of them are a fleshed out, realistic child. As I saw a reflection of myself in James, I'm sure most would find a Tillerman to relate to.

This book also isn't afraid to talk about some heavy topics. Mental illness is discussed heavily, particularly in relation to the character's mother and one of the children. The explorations of these topics particularly hit a few strings with me. Feminism, religion, death and racism are all touched on. As you can guess by the title though, the big question of the book is 'What makes a place a home?"

If this novel has one weakness though, it is in its pacing and plot. Despite these children being homeless for most of the book, I rarely felt the stakes were ever too high. here were a few times I expected something to go horribly wrong and was sorely disappointed. Dicey was almost too resourceful. Problems would resolve in the same chapter. Voigt never gives us enough time to let the anxiety build during their travels. I will say she makes up for this in the end of part 1 and the book finale, ironically the two times when the Tillerman's are not vagabonds.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this book. The Tillermans feel like a real family and that is what really drives this book. If you are looking for a much more mature Young Adult novel this is a great choice. ...more

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Jan 22, 2015 Lauren H. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Homecoming shows genuine diversity of people across varying walks of life, and I enjoyed with it for that reason. Characters aren’t simply “good” or “bad;” instead, they reflect the nuances and varying shades of life that reveals the world as it is. Characters who help the children out are not always there for them in the long run, characters who initially yell at the children become guiding and positive influences, and characters who should be stereotypically “good” and trustworthy are not nec Homecoming shows genuine diversity of people across varying walks of life, and I enjoyed with it for that reason. Characters aren’t simply “good” or “bad;” instead, they reflect the nuances and varying shades of life that reveals the world as it is. Characters who help the children out are not always there for them in the long run, characters who initially yell at the children become guiding and positive influences, and characters who should be stereotypically “good” and trustworthy are not necessarily that way at all. I connected with the messiness of humanity embodied in this novel. The greatest dislike I had with the novel is only that the beginning quarter of the book began to draw on without a lot of exciting, enticing action. At the same time, though, the effect of this maneuver allowed me to understand the monotony of the children's travels.

The strength of this book certainly was the “messy,” depth-filled characters. People aren’t always what they seem in this book, and there is not always a concrete reason to immediately trust (or not trust) someone. Voight understands that first impressions are not always accurate, family does not necessarily simply stay together just because it is “family,” and helpful people are not necessarily acting out of genuine selfless goodwill. The way she brings in the circus owners is a dynamite aspect to this text, since she undercuts stereotypes and defies expectations about how people might be imagined to act. As readers, we go on the journey with Dicey and her siblings, and we experience Dicey’s thoughts and musings about life and humanity. She questions people, experiences, and expectations, and Dicey’s ability to ponder over the world leaves readers pondering as well.

Still, I could foresee this book as maybe being a bit lost on today’s younger generation of readers. In today’s technology age, it might be difficult for students to connect to characters who base their travels on a paper map, who don’t have easy access to phone numbers and addresses, and who do seeming “old school” jobs. Yet, if students can get past the fact that the characters' lives don’t necessarily mirror their own, I believe the essences of humanity portrayed in the book can transcend through many, many decades.
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Jan 19, 2015 Logan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

When reading Voigt's Homecoming, it's difficult to shake the undeniable similarities between the Tillerman Cycle (featuring four young orphan-like protagonists surviving in the wilderness) and the much-older Boxcar Children series (following a similar batch of four plucky, parentless children attempting to carve out a life in the wild). Despite this, the first installment in Voigt's Tillerman Cycle stands head and shoulders above its predecessor, due perhaps in part to the inherent darkness of t When reading Voigt's Homecoming, it's difficult to shake the undeniable similarities between the Tillerman Cycle (featuring four young orphan-like protagonists surviving in the wilderness) and the much-older Boxcar Children series (following a similar batch of four plucky, parentless children attempting to carve out a life in the wild). Despite this, the first installment in Voigt's Tillerman Cycle stands head and shoulders above its predecessor, due perhaps in part to the inherent darkness of the parental abandonment theme, but largely thanks to the novel's doggedly determined Dicey. The oldest child and ringleader of the traveling troop, Dicey is exactly the person one might seek out in a crisis. Level-headed, practical, and loyal to a fault, Dicey's internal struggles (as depicted through the third-person narration style) are the beating heart of this novel.

The strength of the novel rides largely on its linguistic accessibility and familiar narrative style. Voigt’s prose is simple enough to read, but never dull or repetitive, and manages to engage the reader through its third-person-close narration style. Through Dicey’s thoughts and feelings, readers are allowed to experience the trials of raising three (frequently difficult, but never petulant) younger siblings as the young family attempts to grapple with the loss of its mother. The characters the siblings meet along the way allow the young protagonists to consider what it is that makes a place home.

First published in 1981, Homecoming updates the bildungsroman for a more modern world, but many of its female characters lie wrapped in cultural mores from the past. Though, near the novel’s end, Dicey is finally told that she has her own kind of intelligence, she is throughout the piece portrayed as a mothering figure, tasked with the job of caring for her younger siblings by virtue of her sex. The novel does subvert this, however, as Dicey frequently presents herself as male, in order to avoid what she terms the “dangers” of being female. Among other things, Homecoming has the potential to be a conversation-starter about gender norms, social expectations, and the role of the nuclear family unit in a society and culture increasingly grappling with related issues. ...more

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