
A parent would reach for this book when their child is navigating the heavy silence of a family tragedy or feeling isolated by being different. Set in 1970s Alberta, it follows eight-year-old Imogene, nicknamed Egg, as she navigates a home fractured by the death of her brother. With a mother lost to alcohol and a father retreated to the barn, Egg and her sister Kathy must find their own ways to survive both domestic neglect and schoolyard bullying. While the themes are sophisticated, the story provides a vital mirror for children experiencing complex grief or the weight of carrying family secrets. It is best suited for mature middle-grade readers who are ready to discuss difficult realities through a lens of quiet resilience.
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Sign in to write a reviewCharacters face racial slurs and exclusion in a 1970s rural setting.
The central catalyst is the past accidental death of a sibling.
The book deals directly and realistically with accidental death, parental neglect, and substance abuse. It is secular in nature, focusing on the psychological toll of silence. The resolution is realistic rather than neatly happy: it offers a sense of survival and the strength of the sibling bond rather than a total family healing.
A thoughtful 12-year-old who appreciates atmospheric writing and is grappling with the 'invisible' feeling of having a family in crisis. It is for the child who feels they have to grow up too fast.
Parents should preview scenes of the mother's intoxication and the descriptions of the brother's death. It is best read alongside an adult to process the heavy themes of neglect. A parent might choose this after noticing their child is withdrawing or 'hiding' their feelings to protect the adults in their lives, or if the child has experienced racialized bullying.
Younger readers (10) will focus on the bullying and the sister relationship. Older readers (13-14) will better grasp the historical context of being a Japanese-Canadian family and the nuance of the parents' depression.
It is unique for its intersection of Japanese-Canadian identity, rural life, and the specific metaphor of the 'prairie ostrich,' capturing a sense of being an outsider in one's own home and town.
Imogene (Egg) Murakami lives on an ostrich farm in rural Alberta during the 1970s. Following the accidental death of her brother Albert, her family has disintegrated: her father lives in the barn and her mother is an alcoholic. Egg faces severe bullying at school due to her race and her family's reputation. The narrative follows her internal world and her bond with her older sister Kathy as they navigate a landscape of grief.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.