Homecoming Review

Dicey is 13 years old , competent, level headed, extremely intellegent...and has always been her Mothers' back up plan. Whenever there was anything Mother could not handle doing Dicey handled it.  But now Mother has lost her job and their money is almost gone, so they have packed the car and headed across country toward Bridgeport where their rich Aunt Cilla lives to see if she can help.  Mamma has been acting a little strange lately, wandering off for sometimes hours at a time and playing with little Sammy as if she were not a grown up, but another six year old. Dicey is a bit worried but doesn't think much of it when Mamma pulls in at a mall and tells the children to wait in the car while she goes in, that she'll be right back.  But she's not right back.  The children wait for hours and Mamma doesn't come back.  They wait through the long night and Mamma still isn't back.  Then Dicey, as always when Mamma fails, takes things into her own hands.

Under her own steam Dicey takes it upon herself to set out with her younger siblings, James 11, Maybeth, 9, and Sammy,6, to reach Bridgeport and their Aunt Cillia by whatever means necessary.  Mostly, this means walking.  They walk, they fish, and they survive by whatever means necessary short of flat out breaking the law... and sometimes even that rule must be bent just a little.  But reaching Bridgeport brings little relief, for not only is Aunt Cillia not the rich aunt she portrayed herself to be, she has passed away, leaving only silly Cousin Eunice to care for the children and she has other plans in the works. 

The children and Cousin Eunice try to get along but eventually it becomes too much for the children and they set out once again cross country, this time to find a grandmother of whom they have heard little but a name and a town.  What reception will they find this time?  Does happiness await?

I found Homecoming to be a truly touching story concerning a child being forced to take on responsibilites much too soon.She watches over her siblings with a ferocity and protectiveness that a badger would be proud of.  I have to wonder if she will be able to return to being a child however.  I truly cannot wait to read the next book in the series "Dicey's Song" to see how the little quartet is progressing in the next stage of thier lives!