Book Review: Courage for Beginners

In skimming through my blog for entries in the 100 armchair travel post, I came across Karen Harrington's book, Sure Signs of Crazy, and remembered how much I enjoyed that one. Courage for Beginners tackles middle school problems, but it didn't resonate with me as much as the previous book. I'm not sure why. With plenty of conflict to fuel interest, I should have felt more engaged.

Mysti Murphy lives in Texas, but really lives inside the fabrications of her mind. This was tiresome instead of endearing. Throughout the book, sections begin with italicized sentences starting Here is a girl who... Now, I cannot complain, because I live in such fabrications myself at times. I imagine myself solving my problems in dramatic fashion or escaping the doldrums by embracing a different reality. And it is not as if Mysti lacks significant obstacles to inspire such dreams. She is up against the world.

Her father has fallen from a tree and is in a coma. This would be an ordinary challenge, except he holds the family together while agoraphobia cripples her mother. Now, with dad gone, and mom barely functioning, Mysti must carry them all. Perhaps she could lean on her friends. But no, her best friend is pretending he doesn't like her in a campaign to be cool. But is he pretending?

Since my response was less enthusiastic, I considered giving up on this author. However, then I read her acknowledgements page. Now, I am determined to give her books another go. Maybe this was just a case of a book not fitting at the right time or place. Of course, if you grew up with a mother with agoraphobia (and I knew a friend who may have struggled with that paralyzing ailment), the book might be a perfect fit.