Alida's Song

Alida's Song

This was a very interesting story written about a boy who got a job working with his grandmother on a farm. In the beginning of the book he visits with his grandmother, mentioning how much he thought enlisting in the army was a mistake. He then thinks back to when he was fourteen years old, the time in his life when his grandmother changed him for the better. The boy was having a difficult time in school and at home. His parents were barely there and always drunk and he never socialized with anyone. His grandmother got him a job working with her own employer for the summer. This experience changed his life for the better and it was later that he realized just how much his grandmother really did influence him; he realized the love that she had for him and even when he was older he felt her always guiding him.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The things I found interesting about this book is that the boy didn't have a name, he was always referred to as the boy. The characters in the story had quite a lot of respect for Alida (the grandmother), and it was her love for her grandson that saved him. His life could have gone so differently had he chosen not to work on the farm. This book was written by Gary Paulsen. (There is a link to some information on him). This was written in 1999 in New York. "...he was no longer the man he thought he was, but he was carried back to when he was just fourteen..." (4).

CAUTION: There is mild language in it.