Product Description

Twelve-year old Buhlaire Sims, a racially mixed child who feels out of place in her community, struggles to unearth her past and her family history as she gradually discovers more and more about her long-missing father. SLJ. K. PW.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #217388 in Books
• Published on: 1997-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

From Publishers Weekly
The revelation that her father is close to home and not "missing in Nam" hits Buhlaire-Marie Sims like a bomb. All at once, her life is turned upside down. The people she trusted--Mama, Aunt Digna and Uncle Sam--seem to be liars; meanwhile, Buhlaire's worst enemy, Grady Terrell, is starting to act friendly. For the first time ever, Buhlaire becomes self-conscious about her "carrot-honey" skin, her "Rasta" hair and her mother, the famous Bluezy Sims, singer and exotic dancer. With exceptional grace and honesty, Hamilton ( M. C. Higgins, the Great ; Many Thousand Gone ) sketches a vibrant portrait of a gifted 12-year-old of mixed race in search of her identity. Accented with rivertown dialect, the lyrical narrative will draw readers into the small community of Plain City, down to the bank of stilt houses where Buhlaire resides, to the dimly lit night club where she makes her singing debut, and all the way to the homeless shelter where bittersweet truths come to light. Richly textured with a cast of unforgettable characters, this extraordinary novel offers a rare glimpse of unconditional love, family loyalty and compassion. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 6-8-Discovering that her mother and relatives lied about her father dying in Vietnam, angry Buhlaire-Marie Sims, 12, is determined to find and communicate with her dad. When he rescues her during a January blizzard, he leads his daughter to a highway underpass, his space among the homeless of Plain City. Buhlaire learns that her father is a troubled man, estranged from his family because of his mental instability and racially mixed parentage. Although he treats her kindly, she begins to perceive the confusion and unpredictability of his life. Buhlaire has experienced her own ostracization because of her mother's nightclub career, her home among the stilted river bottom "water houses," and her light skin. Although she is loved and cared for, her adolescent sensibilities are aroused when she realizes that her family has shielded her from her own identity. Through candid thoughts, realistic dialogue, and a symbolic blend of setting and self-discovery, Hamilton has created a testimonial on the powerful bonds of blood and "back time," or heritage. Buhlaire emerges from her emotional turmoil and quest with an appreciation for the attentions and personal struggles of a classmate; with renewed affection for her family; and, with a compassionate understanding of hard choices that are part of life.
Gerry Larson, Chewning Junior High School, Durham, NC
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
At 12, Bulaire has reason to ponder her identity; a bright, prickly loner, she wonders if her looks--changeable blue-green eyes, ``golden Rasta twists,'' pale skin that summer tans ``to near-chocolate lightly washed in burnt orange''--are why she's at odds with her darker friends and relatives. Now, in winter, she's angry--with Grady, who teases in class but seems friendly when he follows her on long walks; and--after she hears that her father isn't dead, as she's been told, but in town--with her mother Bluezy, often away singing gigs, and with the aunts and uncle who care for her. On a bitter cold day, Bulaire, dazzled by snow, is rescued by her dad and taken to his cave under the Interstate, Grady following. Though ``Junior'' is evidently unbalanced, he does seem to care about her; and though he begs for a ``stake,'' he also returns some of her ``back time''--family photos and mementoes that had mysteriously vanished. Bulaire almost decides to go with him, as he unrealistically suggests, and does give him money, as (they now tell her) his half-sisters and ex-wife have often done. In some ways, Plain City is the obverse of Cousins: this father, homeless and a con man, is probably unreclaimable, though he, too, helps his daughter at a critical moment. The other adults are believably flawed, but bracingly strong and reliable. In the end (as a January thaw--``not heat, just not freezing''--melts the ice), the truth sets Bulaire free to see her elders as they are and begin to make peace--with them and with herself and her mixed heritage. Subtle, wise, complex-- superb. (Fiction. 9-13) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Customer Reviews

A book about the akwardness of growing up and the heart ache
It's a book about a girl going through the akwardness of adolesences. This reminds me of my life. Teens and children alike should read this book to understand that they are not alone in this metamorphisis on life. It gets confusing at first but then you won't want to put it down.

wow
As I read this book call Plain City I feel very sorry about this girl who struggles a lot. Her hair is like a straw-colored, made even lighter by last summer's sun. Summer or winter, her hair rimmed her heart-shaped face in golden Rasta twists. She is aware of their discomfort. She is very brave, she spend most of her time with her father. She accepts that her father was called Missing in Action, but she doesn't know who told her that. She thinks it's hard growing up as a twelve year old and walking from a deep sleep. I know she sometimes feel lonely.