Novella Reviews: FOSTER; BUFFALO DREAMER; ALL SYSTEMS RED

Foster by Claire Keegan. Grove Press 2010 and 2022. 92 pages.

A child is taken by her father to live with relatives in rural Ireland. She does not know if and when she will return home again. In the Kinsellas' house, she finds warmth, affection, and attention. All unknown by her heretofore. Under their care, the girl begins to blossom. But she also understands that there is something unspoken in this new home and the girl worries that she will be sent home if she ever discovers it.

This is the shortest novella I've read so far this month. At 92 pages in a little book, it read much more like a short story. But it was also the perfect length, telling a heartbreaking story about an unnamed girl who is left with strangers by parents who are too hassled to think much of her, to even care enough to tell her when she will return home.

The very first day, after her father leaves without so much as a goodbye, even forgetting to leave her clothes, Mrs. Kinsella gives the girl a bath. From her reaction one wonders if this is the first good hot bath she's ever had in her life. Later, as the girl and the woman walk to the well together she tries "to remember another time when I felt like this and am sad because I can't remember a time, and happy, too, because I cannot." Rather than feeling abandoned, the girls feels at ease all summer with the Kinsellas. One worries that the idyll of the summer will come to a crashing end. And indeed the girl is delivered home to her parents before the start of school. But not before she expresses her love by calling Mr. Kinsella "Daddy." Heartbreaking.

My rating: 5 stars.

Buffalo Dreamer by Violet Duncan. Nancy Paulsen Books, 2024. 128 pages.

Summer and her family always spend their summer vacations in Alberta, Canada on the reservation where her mother is from. This summer is eye-opening for this pre-teen girl. Even before they arrive on the reservation she starts having vivid dreams as if she is a girl escaping from an Indian residential school. After several of these types of dreams she finally consults with her mother and other elders and learns about her own grandfather's experiences with the residential schools where many of the native children didn't even survive. At one point during the big summer Pop-wow she meets a woman whose story matches the dreams. 

Buffalo Dreamer is based on the author's family story. It is an important story for all North Americans to hear and to appreciate, not just children and teens. Generational trauma is a real thing. Summer's grandfather was traumatized by his schooling experiences. That trauma affected him for the rest of his life. His family was also impacted. We don't have the right to say "That was ancient history. Get over it." I am glad this book was selected as a finalist for the 2024 National Book Award, Young People's Division. Hopefully the publicity which comes with the award process has and will increase readership. the target audience is middle grade students, grades 5-8.

My rating: 4 stars.

All Systems Red (Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells.
Tor.com. 2017. 160 pages.
Audible Audio by Recorded Books. 3 hours, 17 minutes.

All Systems Red is a the first book is a Sci-Fi series known as the Murderbot Diaries. In a world run by corporate interests, all exploration must be done for maximum profits. Even the security androids, required for all exploratory and scientific journeys, are made by the lowest bidders which means that parts fall apart quite often. When a team of scientists start their work on a distant planet they do not know their SecUnit has disabled his governor module, making the possibility of going rogue. This SecUnit calls himself Murderbot.  But this self-aware SecUnit isn't interested in going rogue he is interested in all the entertainment programs he has downloaded to his feed. He'd like nothing better than to be left alone with his shows. 

But when I neighboring scientific team goes silent, it is up to the scientists with the help of Murderbot, to figure out what is going on or they may become the next victims.

I have to confess how much I enjoyed this quick Sci-Fi adventure. My husband and I listened to the audiobook together. I was entertained and he was not. I think he had a hard time picturing the action and couldn't quite suspend his disbelief long enough to embrace the characters or appreciate the action.

In 2018 All Systems Red won both the Nebula and the Hugo Awards for best novella of the year.  

My rating: 3.5 stars. Don's rating: 2 stars.  

-Anne