By Gary D. Schmidt
Clarion Books, 2019. Fiction.
On the first day of school when they run out of milk, the Jeep won't start, and Carter's little sister Charlotte's favorite yellow sock is ruined - the Butler arrives. Mr. Bowles-Fitzpatrick is a real-life English butler who was bequeathed to Carter Jones's family by the paternal grandfather he never met. Carter's father is deployed in Germany, his mother is struggling to make ends meet, and the family is still reeling from the death of Carter's younger brother Currier three years earlier. The Butler shows up at just the right time - a gentleman's gentleman determined to turn Carter into the aforementioned with an approach not dissimilar to Mary Poppins (minus the magic). At first, Carter tries to resist but he isn't counting on the Butler being quite so determined. The Butler is determined - to encourage Carter to step up at home, remember the hard memories of his past, and especially to learn to play cricket.
This book is an example of Gary D. Schmidt at his best - a central story filled with all the pain, disappointment and grief that comes from hardship is matched by rich and nuanced humor (like a pet dachshund that throws-up when he's excited). This is an emotionally complex and relatively slim novel that captures the challenges that change and disappointment can bring - and the importance of having an emotional support system when those challenges arise. This stunning new novel from the author of THE WEDNESDAY WARS and OKAY, FOR NOW will appeal to readers young and old.
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