Twelve-year-old Louisiana Elefante leaves her house in the middle of the night, not knowing if she will ever be back.
In the book, “Louisiana’s Way Home,” Louisiana’s Granny woke her up in the middle of the night to tell her that the day of reckoning had arrived and that they had to leave immediately. Louisiana is not too worried because her Granny tends to have a lot of crazy ideas. She and her Granny go on a road trip, where they go through the unthinkable. They end up in an abandoned motel, and Louisiana makes a new friend, as she is forced to leave her best friends, Raymie and Beverly. Despite all of the challenges and obstacles, Louisiana never gives up.
An important aspect of “Louisiana’s Way Home” is how the time period affects the plot. The story takes place in the 1970s in the South, and Louisiana travels from Florida to Georgia. A setting in the story includes the “Good Night, Sleep Tight Motel,” and this is where she and her Granny stay when they are away from home. During all of these adventures, they did not have modern technology like a GPS or a cell phone, so Louisiana faced severe homesickness, as she was away from her friends and feeling isolated. This makes the book very interesting, as it is hard to know what will happen next. The reason for leaving Florida was because of a family curse, which brings in more of an older atmosphere. Overall, the time period of the story helps to connect all of the events together to make it more cohesive.
There are two very important relationships in the book, and they are what lead Louisiana to be put in the situations she gets in. The first key relationship is between Louisiana and her Granny. They are originally very close because Granny is the one who takes care of her, but she can be abusive and tends to lie about the past. Then, the second key relationship comes in when they are at the motel. She meets Burke Allen, who offers her comfort and food, along with companionship. He plays an important role in helping Louisiana navigate her fear, as she gets abandoned by her Granny. Eventually, she decides to stay with the Allen family, and they end up adopting her. All in all, the bonds between characters in the book are what shape Louisiana and make the plot intriguing.
Moreover, “Louisiana’s Way Home” would be rated a ⅘ because the topic and main ideas were very interesting. This book would also be recommended to anyone looking for a new book to read because it is a great page turner.
