Louisiana's Song

by Kerry Madden

Book Overview

Livy Two is happy that Daddy is finally out of his coma, but the befuddled man who comes home is not the daddy the Weems family once knew. He forgets their names, he wanders off?he won't even touch his beloved banjo. Set in Appalachia in 1963, this heartwarming, and heart-wrenching, follow-up to Gentle's Holler is narrated by the irrepressible Livy Two, and traces the ups and downs of her large mountain family. Shy and awkward 11-year-old Louise (Louisiana)...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0670061530
• ISBN13: 9780670061532
• Release Date: May 2007
• Publisher: Viking Children's Books
• Length: 278 Pages
• Weight: 0.96 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.7" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 10 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 5 and higher

Customer Reviews

A Great Read for Any Age

Louisiana's Song In reading Madden's second book of the Maggie Valley series and of the Weems family, you find yourself lost in the story. At the end, you must return to the world of tv, canned music, microwaves, etc. Madden's stories of the beautiful Maggie Valley might well be set anywhere as a young girl struggles with her dreams and the reality of everyday life. This series is a great read for middle schoolers, teenagers, and even to the more mature readers who just want to lose themselves in a time that was more peaceful, more in touch with nature, and families were closer.

Beautiful

Love this book. The setting, the characters, the humor, the heart. It has it all. Madden clearly has a deep love and respect for the Smoky Mountains, their people and traditions. Can't wait for the third book in the trilogy!

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

It's been a long time since Tom Weems has been to the mountain holler they call home. A lot has changed since his accident. Grandma Horace has moved up from the city, but it seems like all she does is argue with everyone. With ten kids to feed and clothe, even Grandma Horace's money doesn't stretch very far. All of the kids who can are doing their best to contribute. Emmett's off with their great uncle working at the new amusement park. He sends back whatever money Uncle Buddy doesn't "borrow." Livy Two is sure that she could sell some of the songs she's been writing, if she could only get the address for the man who used to read her Daddy's songs. She's also sure that her sister, Louisiana, could sell some paintings, if only she wasn't so shy. When Daddy comes home all of the kids expect things will go back to normal. But, Daddy isn't quite the same Daddy he was before. He doesn't seem to remember much of anything. He gets words confused a lot and he won't even touch his banjo. He has a radio playing in his head that no one else can hear. He's not even living in the house. They fixed up an old shed for him to stay in. Louise painted it for him. Louisiana would much rather stay at home and paint and help Daddy than go to school. It's not something Livy Two really gets, but she's very protective of her sister. In fact, until recently, Livy Two was Louise's only friend. But now she's made a new friend, and Livy Two isn't quite sure how to feel about it. She doesn't have a whole lot of time to worry, since Grandma is trying to convince their mom to move them all into the city. Between that, Daddy, Emmett being gone, Louise's new life, and talk about sending Gentle away to a special school for the blind, Livy Two doesn't think her life will ever be quite right again. This is quite simply and beautifully a story about life. It's set in a very specific place and time, but you slide into that space so easily. After reading this for a few hours straight, cars and microwaves were quite a shock! Life isn't always about huge moments, sometimes it's just smaller things, one after another. And you just keep going. It's how you go, and the attitude you have that shows the world who you are. This book is about Louisiana, through Livy Two's eyes, and it speaks volumes for both of them. Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman

The marvelous Weems family

"Louisiana's Song" is the second volume in Kerry Madden's charming Maggie Valley trilogy. Set in North Carolina's Smoky Mountains in the early 1960s, "Louisiana's Song" tells the tale of the Weems family through the eyes of twelve-year-old Livy (Two) Weems. There are ten children in the Weems family, so when dad is injured in a car accident times are hard. Even more troubling for the Weems family is the fact that Dad's memory has been altered and he's often confused and irritable. Mom and Grandma are worried about money, and Grandma, who has become the de facto head of the household, is threatening a move from the mountains to a nearby town so mom can find steady work. Before you get any wrong ideas, let me tell you "Louisiana's Song" is not a problem novel nor is it a tale of rural woe. Instead the Weems family is hopeful, hardworking and full of joy and creativity. The older children find work and extra ways to make money. They band together as a team, make enough to get by, and have plenty of fun in the process. Livy convinces shy Louise (Louisiana of the title) to sell her art. Livy herself works in the bookmobile and tries to sell her songs to an agent in Nashville. (Her letters to the agent are pure genius.) Another sister gets a job in the pancake restaurant, and eldest son Emmett moves away to work at a local amusement park. Along the way, Livy takes her toddler siblings on fairy hunts and creates a beautiful pop-up book for them with the help of Louise and a local Mennonite girl. Although the Weems family lives in near isolation, it's 1963 and times are turbulent and confusing. The novel ends when Kennedy was assassinated and Louise and Livy take Dad and their younger siblings on a fairy hunt to avoid their shocked mother and grandma. When Dad disappears, Livy and Louise have to find the courage to make things right. "Louisiana's Song" is a beautifully written novel for intelligent readers ages nine and up. Livy Two is a compelling narrator with a heart of gold. The novel ends with a big question: Will the Weems family leave Maggie Valley? I for one can't wait to find out, but will have to as "Jessie's Mountain" won't be out until 2008

A Story in Song and Art

In GENTLE'S HOLLER, Kerry Madden introduced young readers to Olivia (better known as Livy Two) Weems, a twelve-year-old with a passion for books and music. Livy has eight siblings of various ages and tempermants, a sweet mama, and a starry-eyed daddy. Money's tight - Daddy's music fills the heart and ears more than it fills the pocketbook - but the Weems make do, and their household is always bursting with family, love, and music. LOUISIANA'S SONG, the second book in the trilogy, is just as precious as the first. The narrator is once again the lovable Livy Two, who learns how her quiet sister Louise came to be named after a state. She encourages Louise to share her paintings with others, all the while working hard on her own songs and helping out at the bookmobile. As the family feels the effects of the events from the previous book, Livy Two is surprised by the strength of her siblings - and of herself. Set in 1960s North Carolina, LOUISIANA'S SONG is a worthy sequel to GENTLE'S HOLLER, and, unlike many middle books in trilogies, can stand on its own two feet. When Louise learns to do the same, Livy Two cheers her on - and so will readers. I am looking forward to JESSIE'S MOUNTAIN, the final book in the trilogy. Recommended, especially to fans of the All-of-a-Kind Family books by Sidney Taylor, The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall, and Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes by Frank B. Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey.