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Summary
Summary
A video message from the dead. A thieving teen. An epileptic seeking answers in a fairy tale. A man who can stick his toe behind his head and in his ear. And a family with a secret that changes everything. Ten of the world's best-selling authors tell the startling tale of George Keane, photographer, adventurer, and enigma. Under different pens, a portrait emerges of a man, his family, and the glorious tangle that is his life.
Author Notes
Linda Sue Park was born in Urbana, Illinois on March 25, 1960. She received a B.A. in English from Stanford University. After graduating, she worked as a public-relations writer for a major oil company for two years. She obtained advanced degrees in literature from Trinity College, Dublin in Ireland and from the University of London. Before becoming a full-time author, she held numerous jobs including working for an advertising agency, teaching English as a second language to college students, and working as a food journalist. Her first book, Seesaw Girl, was published in 1999. Her other books include The Kite Fighters, Tap Dancing on the Roof: Sijo (Poems), and A Single Shard, which won the 2002 Newbery Medal. She also wrote Storm Warning, which is the ninth book in the 39 Clues series. Her title A Long Walk to Water made the New York Times bestseller list.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Ten distinguished authors each write a chapter of this intriguing novel of mystery and family, which examines the lives touched by a photojournalist George Keane, aka Gee. The first chapter, by Linda Sue Park, begins with Gee's death and how it affects his granddaughter Maggie, who ponders the cryptic gift he has left for her: a box of seven seashells and a note reading, "Throw them all back." Several chapters follow Maggie and her stepbrother Jason; others are flashbacks that return to subjects of Gee's photographs-a prisoner who created Maggie's box (Deborah Ellis), a girl with a mysterious illness (David Almond) and a Japanese soldier who lost his legs to a grenade (Ruth Ozeki). Margo Lanagan's contribution, set in the future, offers a magical, world-altering explanation for how Gee has seemingly led multiple lives, as Nick Hornby hints at earlier. In Gregory Maguire's conclusion, an elderly Maggie reflects on her grandfather's influence ("He wanted us to see.... Jason took the camera and took off-his life took off.... I took the shells and I took off too"). The authors' distinctive styles remain evident; although readers expecting a more straightforward or linear story may find the leaps through time and place challenging, the thematic currents help the chapters gel into a cohesive whole. Royalties benefit Amnesty International. Ages 12-up. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
(Intermediate, Middle School) Ten noted authors, from David Almond to Tim Wynne-Jones, join forces to tell, serially, the tale of globe-trotting photojournalist ""Gee"" Keane, his family, his subjects, and his legacy. Linda Sue Park sets the whole enterprise up neatly with a chapter that begins after Gee's death, introducing his grandchildren, Maggie and Jason, and a number of different ""jump objects"" that her cohorts pick up to create a through-line for the work. Chapter by chapter, the collaborators variously focus on Maggie, on Jason, on the people Gee photographed throughout his career. The agglomeration of related tales gives the authors a chance to do what they do best: Almond offers a lovely musing on faith from the sun-dappled Northumbrian coast; Deborah Ellis, a fierce look at hope in a Soviet prison; Margo Lanagan, a keenly provocative glimpse into a post-global warming future in Australia. Gregory Maguire conjures a science-fictional finale that manages in masterly fashion to tie the diverse strands back together into one coherent story. Less a novel than a novelty, this is nevertheless a chance to see ten of the best in the business in an entirely new setting. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
After author Roddy Doyle suggested a collaborative novel to support Amnesty International, editor Arthur Levine sent a concept manuscript to 10 of his favorite authors, leaving the rest up to them. The unifying link turned out to be a character called George Gee Keane, a world-famous photojournalist. David Almond, Tim Wynne-Jones, Linda Sue Park, Ruth Ozeki, and Nick Hornby are among the collaborators, each of whom provides a shapshot of Gee as derived from the objects in his photographs or through the eyes of his descendants. While moving back and forth in time and place, the contributions come together in a surprisingly satisfying whole, as clues in each successive chapter gradually bring the man and the mystery surrounding him into sharp focus. Deborah Ellis' story is especially moving; Margo Lanagan provides a typically stunning twist in hers. Other contributors are Doyle, Eoin Colfer, and Gregory Maguire. Try this with high-school writing classes. A brief note about each author and information on Amnesty International conclude.--Rutan, Lynn Copyright 2007 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 6-9-This beautifully crafted book brings together 10 authors, all of whom are great storytellers, to create a shared novel. Park has the lead chapter, in which she introduces the "jump" character (i.e., a figure who is referenced throughout even as the settings change). George "Gee" Keane, a famous photojournalist who has traveled the world shooting pictures of sports, wars, and people at work and at play, has just died. He leaves his grandson Jason his camera and some photographs. To granddaughter Maggie he bequeaths seven seashells, one from each continent, with instructions to throw each one back into its respective sea. The authors weave a variety of styles into the overarching narrative. For example, David Almond's magical realism and rich symbolism are wonderful in the story of Annie L., whose picture Gee takes. The question of whether Annie is a mermaid or a special-needs child is irrelevant to the message of the healing power of love. Eoin Colfer humorously captures the truculence of teenager Jason, while Deborah Ellis visits, as she often does, a war zone and explores the impact of war on people. Gregory Maguire, playful and witty, nicely wraps things up with a chapter set in the future, when Maggie, now a retired ambassador, curates a retrospective of Gee's photographs, mentioned in previous chapters. As strong in execution as it is in concept, the novel can be appreciated on a number of levels. Budding photographers in particular will value the message of the need to see what is around us.-Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
The work and travels of a talented photographer lie at the heart of this far-flung tale. Created collaboratively by the likes of Eoin Colfer, Nick Hornby, Deborah Ellis and Gregory Maguire, among others, to benefit Amnesty International, this unusual story unfolds a chapter at a time in a wide variety of directions. Readers find themselves in the present, the past and the future, as well as all over the world. This fluidity of time and setting, along with the large number of characters, might have resulted in a chaotic feel, but skillful writing (and presumably editing) overcomes this potential problem. In the opening vignette by Linda Sue Park, readers meet Maggie and her brother Jason who are mourning the loss of their grandfather, Gee. Several subsequent sections feature Maggie and Jason, but most focus on Gee, always through the eyes of another. Each chapter is distinct enough to reveal a bit about its author while effectively contributing to the overall portrait of a complex, committed, elusive man. While some readers may find the narrative jumps too challenging, those who follow the multi-strand plot will be rewarded with a thought-provoking and thoroughly engaging read. (brief author biographies, notes on Amnesty International) (Fiction. 12-15) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
