The Flying Troutmans / Miriam Toews

Ever wished you could just run away from it all? Hattie Troutman does, but unfortunately, it all -- in particular, her family -- just seems to keep following her. Hattie's living in Paris and is recently homeless, recently boyfriend-less, and just a bit directionless when she receives a call from her 11-year old niece that she's urgently needed back home in Canada. She arrives to find her older sister deep in the throes of a serious depressive episode and her niece and nephew trying valiantly to fend for themselves and their sick mom.

Although I know that librarians are supposed to be immune to this, I was totally attracted to this book because of the cover. I don't know if the kid on the front is supposed to be Hattie's niece, Thebes, who has a mild obsession with art projects (especially creating giant checks out of posterboard to give to people she thinks need a little boost to their day) or if it's supposed to be a representation of Hattie herself -- who, although in her late 20's, is just a bit immature for her age and feels moderately to totally overwhelmed by the responsibility of suddenly being the primary caretaker of her sister's family. Regardless, the kid covering her eyes in the funny hat is a perfect representation of the mood of this book. A little wacky, a little serious.

At its heart, this book is a road trip book with literary underpinnings that are pretty well disguised by the book's quick pacing. After putting her sister in the hospital, Hattie and the kids embark on an epic journey in a marginally operational minivan across the United States to search for the kids' elusive artist father. They have some adventures and meet some nutty characters. More often than not, they ARE the nutty characters.

Hattie's niece and nephew are such appealing characters, by turns vulnerable and funny, wise and silly, that you can't help but be drawn into their voyage. Hattie has a complex relationship with her sister that the author gives us little glimpses of through flashbacks throughout the storyline. Hattie herself is tired of cleaning up her sister's messes, but she loves her family despite their flaws. She has to make an uncomfortable decision: what is she willing to give up for the ones she loves?

This book is has a wacky sense of humor and a streak of irony. While some of the characters are kind of out there in the zaniness realm, it does deal in a sensitive way with the effects of having a person with mental illness in the family and the unpalatable choices that family members are forced to make.