If only Cat's mom had listened to her phone messages sooner, they would have learned that Rishi and his family were on their way to India because of family illness. What to do now? Mom, knowing she can't leave the kids alone in a strange city each day while she's teaching, she decides to take them to Gingerbread Island, North Carolina, her childhood home. Amanda hasn't had much to do with her parents, Macon and Lily Stone, so Cat and Chicken don't know anything about them.
At first, things are a bit awkward, except for Lily who is beside herself with excitement at finally meeting her grandkids. But there's so much tension between Amanda and her dad, that she leaves almost immediately, promising Cat and Chicken she will be back for weekends. Cat is delighted to be in her mother's old room, even if Chicken insists on sleeping with her, which is OK because being right on the ocean, she's really concerned about Chicken taking off.
But Lily knows just how to deal with Chicken and to two become fast friends instantly, something Cat has mixed feelings about. And Macon, whose a bit standoffish, just disappears into his workshop regularly. At the nearby playground, Cat and Chicken meet Harriet and her younger Neddie, along with John Harvey Dawson, who has taken an immediate dislike to Cat. She had also noticed the fishing trophies in her mother's room, and so when she hears about an upcoming fishing contest, one that John Harvey wins year after year, Cat decides to learn how to fish like her mother and beat him in the contest.
Naturally, mom's weekend visits don't happen, but gradually Macon warms to Cat and the two of them start walking the beach early in the morning. He even fixes and cleans up her mother's old bike for her to ride around the island with Harriet, the queen of fun. And though Cat seems to have broken through his reserved, she can't get him to teach her how to fish...or can't she?
I read Caterpillar Summer in the midst of the chaos that is my Kiddo visiting from China, so the gentle unfolding of this story was just what I needed. And I loved watching Cat grow in the realization that she has been given so much responsibility caring for Chicken and her mother's needs at the expense of her own needs and desires. And that Chicken and her mother have come to see that sacrifice as who Cat is for them.
Although Cat and Chicken are biracial, race is not a main theme in this story. Yes, they on a North Carolina island and there are a some instances of racist and bias attitudes, but for the most part, because their mother was so well-liked by the residents, the kids are just accepted as Macon and Lily's grands. And the point is made that Cat and Chicken know and have a strong relationship with their father's parents. What is also interesting is that the cause of the split between Amanda and Macon is her choice career, not her choice of husband.
Cat is a great realistic character. How many older girls are given too much responsibility for younger siblings? I know I was, and my brother certainly had his share of meltdowns, just as Chicken does. So I suspect a lot of readers will relate to Cat and her overly, almost territorial protectiveness of her brother.
Caterpillar Summer is a tender, poignant story about family, friendships, learning to ask for help when it's needed and, most importantly, learning to take care of oneself.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was borrowed from a friend
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