Bibliographic Citation:
Giff, P.R. (2013). Gingersnap. New York, NY: Wendy Lamb Books.
Summary:
Gingersnap is a
story about Jayna, a young red-headed girl that was orphaned when her parents
were killed in a car accident. After many years in foster homes, her older
brother Rob finally turns 18 and comes to take her home with him, to be a
family again.
The story is set toward the end of WWII and after a year of
being a family, Rob is sent off as a cook on a U.S. Navy destroyer. Before Rob
leaves, he tells Jayna that he has a box of family stuff to show her when he
returns. While he is gone, Jayna stays with Celine, their landlord. One day,
Stuart, the man from the telegraph office, brings Jayna a telegraph that says
the destroyer Rob was on was hit by a Japanese kamikaze plane and that Rob is
missing. Jayna goes to their house to find the box with a recipe book and a
picture. She packs her things and her pet turtle Theresa and follows the clues
and ends up in Brooklyn at a Bakery with Elise. Jayna finally learns about her
family and Elise, though not the grandmother Jayna thought her to be, was her
grandmother’s best friend and takes Jayna in.
Jayna makes friends in Brooklyn, makes soup to sell in Elise’s
bakery and eventually her brother Rob comes home to her.
Impressions:
This historical fiction novel takes the terrible realities of
war such as destroyers being sunk of the coast of Okinawa, Japan by Japanese
kamikaze bombers and the rationing of food staples such as sugar, eggs and meat
and wraps it into a story with fictional characters. While Jayna, Rob, Elise
and all the others are made up characters alongside a fictional situation,
similar situations occurred as men and boys were killed or missing in action
after destroyers and other naval vessels were sunk. Families at home struggled
to survive the rationing and the uncertainty of whether their loved ones were
coming home or not. Seventy years after the end of WWII, this book gives a
slight insight into the lives and struggles of those at home waiting and hoping
for their family members to return, along with the search for oneself, for
family and identity.
Library Use Suggestions:
This book could be used to introduce/discuss the U.S.
involvement in WWII and it’s interaction with Japan.
It can also be used to look at recipes and how food can be
used as a comfort, the way Jayna used her soup. Discussion: when you are happy,
upset or sick, what is a food that you want your mom or grandma to make for
you?
Reviews:
Giff is one of
few writers who can entwine an odd lot of characters, set them in Brooklyn
during World War II, flavor the story with soup recipes, add a ghost and infuse
the plot with a longing for family—and make it all believable.
When Jayna’s
brother leaves for submarine duty, she’s left to stay with their cranky
landlady (their parents died in a car accident). She remembers an old, blue
recipe book inscribed with a name and address in Brooklyn and becomes convinced
the woman in a photo standing in front of a bakery named Gingersnap (her
nickname) is her grandmother. With her pet box turtle, Theresa, in a cat
carrier and the recipe book in her suitcase, she takes a bus into New York City
and the subway to Brooklyn. Through a series of misfortunes, she finds the
bakery and its owner, Elise. Is Elise her grandmother? Will Rob return from the
war? Who is the ghost wearing Jayna’s toenail polish with only her hands and
feet visible, and can she connect with Rob? Will Theresa survive? Jayna’s eight
tasty soup recipes befit the circumstances as they unfold: Don’t-Think-About-It
Soup, Hope Soup, Waiting Soup and so forth. The author’s note to readers refers
to her own childhood war memories, lending dimension to the characters and
plot. Unfortunately, the cover image of a girl with a suitcase walking by
brownstone houses won’t entice readers, though the story itself is riveting.
While the outcome
is foreseeable, Jayna’s journey is a memorable one.
(2012, November 15). [Review of Gingersnap]. Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/patricia-reilly-giff/gingersnap/
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