The Mighty Miss Malone

The Mighty Miss Malone is a 2012 children's novel by author Christopher Paul Curtis and is a followup to his 2000 book Bud, Not Buddy. The book was released on January 10, 2012 by Wendy Lamb Books.^[1] The Mighty Miss Malone follows the character of 12-year-old African-American Deza Malone, who narrates the book.

Synopsis

Deza Malone's family has the motto "We are a family on a journey to a place called Wonderful" and Deza is consistently marked in her school as someone who is sure to go far in life. However, when the Great Depression hits Deza's hometown of Gary, Indiana, her father loses his job and must travel abroad in order to find work. Her mother uproots the family and goes out in search of Deza's father, with Deza and her brother ending up in a Hooverville outside Flint, Michigan. As life continues to go on, Deza's brother Jimmie leaves the camp in the hopes of becoming a performer while Deza and her mother try to carry on in the hopes of finding Deza's father.

Themes

The Mighty Miss Malone deals with the themes of homelessness during the Great Depression, racism, and family bonds.^[2]

Reception

Critical reception for The Mighty Miss Malone was mostly positive,^[3] with reviewers praising the book's themes.^[4] The New Pittsburgh Courier remarked that "there were a few story threads that were a little odd" but overall enjoyed the book and recommended it as a read for children and book groups.^[5] A reviewer for the School Library Journal stated that some expectations for the book might have been a little high, but that they were "completely enthralled by the voice, this wonderful realistic lens through which the reader experiences an African-American family’s plight in The Great Depression".^[6] Other comments on SLJ were that "some of the mixed reactions to this book have to do with what readers expected of it. Thinking of the book for what it is, and its ideal reader, it offers a wonderfully vivid family portrait in a well developed historical context." The reviewer was also very "confused by complaints that Deza is a “passive” protagonist, or that the story focuses on other family members rather than her. Put the title aside for a moment (not that it’s not a consideration, but just humor me): isn’t this a story about the whole Malone family? Told from Deza’s point of view?"".^[7]

References