Coming on Home Soon by Jacqueline Woodson

2nd grade and up

I’m a writer currently in the beginning stages of developing a World War II novel that focuses on the separation of a husband and wife by the events of the time. While the separation in Woodson’s Caldecott Honor book is one between a daughter and her mother rather than a soldier and his wife, the longing Ada Ruth feels for her mother is similar to the emotion I envision for my characters. Nothing escapes Ada Ruth’s tendency to associate her surroundings with her mother; Mama may be working far away in Chicago, but the snow that blankets Ada Ruth’s farm and the stray kitten whose body warms the little girl’s lap are constant reminders of her mother’s sayings and touch. This attention to the smallest of details is such a realistic touch that the longing is palpable.

Certainly, the subject matter of the 1940s home front appealed to me because of my interest in the war and that time period, and the African-American experience of that time was an interesting part of the history. But I also feel drawn to the relationship between Ada Ruth and her grandmother, one of unequivocal love beneath a façade of pragmatism and occasional gruffness, and one that transcends all racial barriers to speak to the human condition. Ada Ruth knows her grandmother is all talk when she claims the kitten must go while she puts down a saucer of milk. She knows Grandma misses Mama as much as she does, despite her calls to hush up crying.

The illustrations are particularly poignant not in any kind of overly sentimental way, but in their subtle way of portraying the longing this family feels. Almost all of the pictures have a door or window, with the light from the outside world spilling in to illuminate the characters faces or to place them in silhouette, alluding to Ada Ruth's constant vigilance in looking for Mama. The two pictures outside the house serve to show how wide open the world is, emphasizing how alone Ada Ruth and Grandma are without Mama’s presence. This pairing of colloquial yet lyrical writing and beautiful, haunting illustrations make this book truly special.