Junonia by K. Henkes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20361/G28W2VAbstract
Henkes, Kevin. Junonia. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2011. Print.
Henkes’ carefully considered novel for young adults, Junonia, showcases his ability to convey depth of emotion very clearly and intuitively. Going against the truism that children’s book illustrations have to represent the characters, the beautiful and restrained illustrations evoke the archetypal woodcut illustrations of vintage children’s books without descending into nostalgic kitsch. Both word and illustration contribute to Henkes’ candid and clear-eyed depictions of the natural world and the exterior manifestations of the characters’ inner lives.
The story unfolds as Alice Rice returns with her parents to Sanibel Island in Florida for their annual winter holiday and to celebrate her tenth birthday. Henkes has a deft narrative grasp of the unknowability of the individual, both to themselves and others; an aspect of the human condition that young people experience particularly acutely. In Henkes’ books for younger readers, there are gentle and empathetic adults present to help children negotiate the complexity of the world and their own feelings. However, Junonia is for older children and its protagonist is beginning the process of learning to navigate and master her own feelings and expectations. While supportive adults are present, they can only offer Alice a limited degree of benevolent protection from the realities of the passage of time and the vagaries of human emotions.
While the subject of the book is transition to, and reconciliation with, a more adult-level of self-awareness, the book never seems maudlin and retains a very lucid and almost austere tone. Junonia is an immersive and lovely introduction to literature created with the intent to closely follow the interior monologues of its characters. One could imagine moving on to Mrs Dalloway rather effortlessly.
Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 stars
Reviewer: Matilda Roche
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).