SteffieB Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 What Happened to Henry? by Sharon Pywell (2004) NY, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons Book jacket: Nine-year-old Lauren Cooper is devoted to her brother, Henry. She looks to him for strength, wisdom, and the cool level-headedness that, she is realizing, she lacks. But when a sudden tragedy upsets the balance of her close-knit family, Henry's steadfastness starts to crack, and Lauren is forced to watch out for her onetime protector as he grapples with a strange -- although not altogether negative -- affliction. As the Cooper children stumble into adulthood, Lauren continues to keep an eye on Henry, whose already loose ties to the world seem to be weakening. Lauren is starting to suspect that there's another layer to her brother's "illness" that everyone is overlooking. And if she can understand what's happening to him, perhaps she will unlock nothing less than the mysteries of the universe itself. What Happened to Henry? is a funny, moving, wise, and powerful tale of a family's struggle to understand their own son -- who is either crazy or blessed, not unlike the cold-war America in which they live. My thoughts: This is a book that appeals to me for so many reasons: it's funny, unique, poignant, real, magical, and oh so very interesting. It was the perfect in-between book from my History of English Literature class into summertime. I loved that it started out with building the bonds between the three kids, such good character development, building sympathy for all of them as they grew into adulthood. The fact that the discovery aspect of Henry's "illness" is carried throughout the book keeps the reader guessing all the way to the end -- does he really have some deep inner bond with a Japanese man? While the children attend a Catholic grade school, they are also learning about Buddhist traditions and Japanese culture from Henry and Asagao. The setting in Boston, the combination of a medical theme with a starving artist backdrop, and the possibility of mental illness combined to keep me completely enthralled. It added a new dimension to the empathy that I feel for the families of the patients I work with every day. I thought this was very well done and really well written. I have a hard time with number grades, so let's just say I strongly recommend this book:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcow Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 Sounds like another good read to add the mount TBR! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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