Publisher's Weekly Review
Writer Peg Meier uncovered the diary of precocious and slightly naughty Clotilde "Coco" Irvine from the Minnesota Historical Society archives, and it appears here virtually unchanged. Coco, almost 13 when the diary begins, was the daughter of a wealthy lumber baron ("They were Minnesota's Vanderbilts, its Rockefellers," writes Meier in her introduction), living in a mansion in St. Paul, Minn. In 1927, Coco's biggest concerns included seeing whether "He" (a schoolmate) returns her affections, attending Friday night school dances, being fashionable, and entering adulthood as quickly as possible. An unrepentant attention-seeker, Coco gets into frequent trouble at home and at school ("I was merely bouncing a basketball against the wall. It wasn't my fault that it inadvertently hit the fire alarm and caused all the rumpus. Honestly, it could have happened to anyone"), but her exuberance, defiance, and sweetness will win over readers from her first entry. This effervescent journal demonstrates Irvine's early, intense enthusiasm for writing and independent thought, as well as her unmistakable talent. Photos of Coco and an afterword about her (fairly tragic) adult life round out an otherwise blithe glimpse into the past. Ages 12-up. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
On Jan. 1, 1927, Coco Irvine, almost 13, began a year-long diary of her daily life in St. Paul, Minn. In the 1970s, she revisited the handwritten diary, edited it and had it typed up. After her death, it was privately published and distributed to the family. The University Of Minnesota Press has now framed it with essays from the retired journalist who discovered it in the archive of the Minnesota Historical Society. "Through no fault of my own" is a repeated refrain, as young Coco gets into one scrape after another: telling a dirty joke at the dinner table, setting off the school fire alarm and crashing her sister's car. The glimpses of Coco's privileged life in the Roaring 20s are intriguing and humorous, but what makes this account so appealing is the clear evocation of what it is to be 13impatient to be grown up yet still childlike in many ways. Coco's innocence will make today's readers smile. Her newfound interest in boys, especially one she calls "He," who might or might not like her, will resonate with middle-school girls. Peg Meier's introduction explains the story's provenance and provides some context; her conclusion summarizes the rest of Coco's life. Give this actual diary to readers who have enjoyed books in the Dear America series. The tiny type font may put them off at first, but before they finish the first entry they'll be hooked. (Nonfiction. 10-14)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
