A Corner of the Universe, by Ann M. Martin, is another proof of my position that fine “juvenile” or “young adult” books are written for discerning adults; however, children can read and appreciate them too.
A Corner of the Universe pulls you into a small town summer where main stream “don’t rock the boat” society meets the unpredictable currents of fringe society. Hattie’s father is an artist. Her mother is the daughter of parents who captain the flagship of High Society in town. This puts Hattie in the uncomfortable position of having “fringe” sensibilities while being unwillingly pulled aboard the societal flagship by her grandparents. While her parents have fringe sensibilities they choose to walk a fine line to keep a working relationship with the grandparents. Hattie doesn’t walk that fine line. She girl’s up and faces the conflict her unfenced choices make.
Hattie likes her quiet little town. She takes us on walks through the town and we are able to enjoy the familiar sights and sounds that make her comfortable. She has only one friend. Every year this friend invites Hattie to go with her and her family to their summer home near the beach. Every year Hattie declines. She wants to stay where she is comfortable. This year her “comfortable” is about to be challenged.
Hattie discovers rather suddenly that her family has a secret. An uncle, her mother’s brother, is coming home to live with her grandparents. He has spent his life in a special home that is now closing. Hattie had never heard of this uncle until they day before he arrives. She quickly discovers the reason her “proper” upper-class Grandparents kept him a secret. He suffers from a mental illness that is described as a mix of schizophrenia and autism. Uncle Adam, maybe twenty years old, bursts through the bounds of most people’s “proper” whether they be upper, middle, or lower class.
This is where the story gains a level in complexity and meaning. For some reason Hattie isn’t repulsed by Uncle Adam’s behavior. Instead, she forms a bond with him. Uncle Adam knows he is different from most of the people on Earth. It makes him lonelier than he can bare. Hattie has her own issues with the other people on Earth. She can understand, even if just a little, her uncle’s experience.
Hattie’s relationship with Adam is believable and touching. It’s touching because I know it’s more than I could have done even if Adam were my brother. The events that transpire, and Hattie’s part in them, lead her into a world that is harsher and also more beautiful as she turns twelve. Hattie is indeed a person who is able and unafraid to pull back a corner of the universe and poke around. In my book, these are a special kind of people.