Thursday, September 27, 2012

Have You Seen Marie?-Sandra Cisneros and Ester Hernández (illustrator)

Have You Seen Marie?


Sandra Cisneros and Ester Hernández (illustrator)

Knopf, Oct 2 2012, $21.00

ISBN: 9780307597946



Grieving for her recently deceased mom, fiftyish Rosalind, accompanied by her weeping cat Marie, drove from Tacoma to San Antonio. Upon arriving at their destination after a three day drive, Marie runs away. Though she would prefer to hide in bed crying, Rosalind realizes she is the only person her beloved feline knows in Texas. She begins a search for her missing cat while learning about the neighborhood by meeting the neighbors; some prove sympathetic; some coldly indifferent; and some sad and sorrowful.



This is an intriguing look at grief through a gritty urban lens of meeting the neighbors. The illustrations add edgy depth to this insightful account of a woman in mourning since she became a middle aged orphan. Some unnecessary Doolittle whimsical “talking” to the animals detracts from this otherwise strong tale of a frantic female’s search for her missing BFF at a time she barely copes with her loss. Apparently based on Sandra Cisneros’ grief following her mom death, readers will appreciate Have You Seen Marie?



Harriet Klausner



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