LitPick Review
Priscilla Speaks by Kirk Ward Robinson falls into the genre of mature young adult fiction and is the fourth book in The Speaks Saga series. The book follows Priscilla as she grows from a child into a young woman, all the while knowing she is different from others, as she seeks a future for herself away from her mother’s addiction and the poverty she grew up in. Priscilla was born when her mother, Blaize Speaks, was only 23 years old. She was her mother's fourth child. The family, plus her mother's friend/sister Jocela, live in a small town called Bilbo, though her mother longs to live in the mountains “the Indian way,” the way she once did before she had to leave because Jocela couldn't handle living there. By the time Priscilla was in first grade, she already knew she wasn’t like the other children, that she was different; she was often bullied for her differences and soon grew used to using violence to defend herself. At the age of 16, everything changes when she gets thrown out of her house by her mother.
Opinion:
Priscilla Speaks by Kirk Ward Robinson may have been a fiction book, but I felt it was a rather accurate portrayal of an autistic child. I found the way the author presented the perspectives of Priscilla, her mother, her principal, and her siblings gave differing views of Priscilla and offered me a better understanding of her character as a child. I found the beginning of the book rather depressing at times, especially in regard to the type of childhood Blaize had and her belief that she was giving her children a better childhood because they did not have to fear the things she did as a child. There was one scene where Blaize gets her son out of Juvie by “convincing” a male employee, who she knew when she was younger who had perverted tastes, to let her son walk. I found the scene rather heart-wrenching, but I appreciated that the author set the scene but skipped anything intimate as I’m not sure I could have stomached that. I felt a great respect for the lengths Blaize would go for her kids and her ability to stand strong even in such an awful situation.
I have to say I came to prefer the second half of the book that followed Priscilla as a teen/young adult as she separated from her family at the age of 16. I could not help but feel for Priscilla being thrown out while she seemed to be glad for it. I could not help but feel worry for what would happen to a penniless 16-year-old on her own. That said, I did enjoy her adventure as she set out on the Appalachian trail and especially the people she met along the way. I found that I enjoyed the setting of the second part of the book more with the more natural setting and the way the author brought the trail to life for me between the pages with words alone. Overall, I found the book to be an emotional, but worthwhile read that I am glad I decided to read.
