THE ORANGE HOUSES
Paul Griffin
Dial Books for Young Readers
Fiction
ISBN: 9780803733466
147 pages

Not many books will tell you the end of the story on the first page. The prelude to this astounding novel tells of the end --- the hanging of Jimmi Sixes, a war veteran from a row of orange houses in New York. After Jimmi received a mandatory discharge from service and returned home, he was hung on the streets of his own neighborhood by a mob. The focus of this rare book is the few spirited inhabitants of the orange houses who endure a darker side of life than most.

The orange houses are in the projects, devoid of prospects and tainted by poverty and human weakness. Three youths --- Jimmi Sixes, Tamika Sykes and Fatima Espérer --- live in the district. Each of them tells his or her own point of view, and the chapters alternate with their stories.

Jimmi is a solitary, suffering soul. His girlfriend committed suicide after her late-term miscarriage of their child while he was away at war. Jimmi didn't know; he was sent home and found out afterwards through the grapevine. He has become a drug addict who is trying to kick the habit but can't find any purpose in life anymore, relishing only rare glimpses of decency and the hopes of others.

Tamika (Mik) is Jimmi's friend. She suffered from meningitis as a child, so is partially deaf and communicates through signing. She has closed herself off to people and rarely talks, but Jimmi looks after her. She goes to a rough high school where she doesn't seem to stand a chance, hiding out alone under the stairwell to eat her lunch just to avoid the cat-calling and brawls that happen daily among the girls there. One nerdy and equally powerless guy who Mik calls "The G" pays her to do his homework and is crazy about her.

Fatima is an illegal immigrant from Africa, a refugee whose family benevolently paid for her to be smuggled to the States, hoping to give her a shot at survival far away from the killings there. When Fatima left her loved ones, she boarded the ship all alone but with a thankful heart, grateful for the chance at freedom that she alone would get. With nothing at all but the clothes on her back, Fatima arrives in New York City, nourishing only her own hope for a better future. She carries a scar of a machete slash across her face, the slash claiming two of her fingers. She works among the orange houses selling newspapers, and here meets Jimmi and Mik. She also teaches immigrant children English and has a singular talent for making treasures from folded paper.

THE ORANGE HOUSES is an uncommon story of human resilience. The strength and composure of these three youths among so much turmoil and despondency is stirring, and all of this within the States. Fatima in particular is subtly heroic; she has a very special spirit about her and becomes a beacon of hope for Jimmi and Mik. She's a rather exceptional soul who truly believes in America and sees it as the land of promise for all who need refuge. When she faces anti-terrorist prejudice in New York, Fatima's story really makes you consider that and the immigration laws here.

In the superbly realistic, matter-of-fact way the book is written, the people of THE ORANGE HOUSES could be real. It is a slim volume, but you never feel short-changed by the story or the writing. This is a compassionate tale that will appeal widely to older teens as well as adults.

   --- Reviewed by Melanie Smith (melanies@daywesthealthcare.com)

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