FICTION

The Journey Back

by Priscilla CUMMINGS
224p. maps. Dutton. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-525-42362-1.
COPY ISBN
Gr 7 Up—Michael "Digger" Griswald, from The Red Kayak (Dutton, 2004), takes center stage here. After his 14th birthday, he escapes from the Cliffside Youth Detention Center, where he has been incarcerated for his role in a young boy's death, and heads home to protect his mother and young siblings from his abusive father. After stealing a tractor trailer and driving to the C&O Canal towpath, the angry teen takes a bike, food, and a canoe to continue his journey. However, his progress is hindered when he injures his ankle and gets a bad case of poison ivy. A stray dog becomes his companion and he happens upon third-grader Luke and teenager Nora. They take him to a campground home, where he hides out with Luke and his father. The incorporation of the poverty seen in the campground provides a glimpse into a life in America. Digger gets a job and grows closer to Luke and develops feelings for Nora. He also processes his anger issues and he gains a stronger sense of self and accountability for his actions. While the tied-up loose ends, didactic nature of the plot, and clean language might induce eye-rolling from discerning readers, the book's life lessons have merits. Cummings focuses on "if/then" and TOP (think of the other person) thinking. She incorporates these life skills into the story through memories, contemplation, and a white laminated card of Cliffside rules that Digger carries.—Adrienne L. Strock, Maricopa County Library District, AZ
An exciting adventure story. Digger faces dangerous situations, such as canoeing down the Potomac River and encountering dams, while trying to evade the authorities. Background information on the mid-Atlantic region is smoothly woven into the narrative and further enhances the novel’s strong sense of place. Digger is a complex character, who is increasingly easy to sympathize with over the course of his ultimately redemptive journey. His new friendships and sense of responsibility to Luke, a young boy whom he helps, are touching and reveal his growing maturity. Priscilla Cummings frankly portrays people living on the margin. It’s heartrending at times to observe how parents’ poor choices affect their children. For example, Digger’s friend Nora and her mother live at a campground because her mother’s relationship troubles keep them on the move and financially strapped. Nora, a serious student, worries about the disadvantages of repeatedly transferring schools.

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