The Talk-Funny Girl: A Novel

This book changed the way I think about poverty and the uneducated in the same way that Orange Is the New Black changed the way I think about criminals and prisoners. OITNB, the fantastic Netflix show, showed me that criminals are human and every one of them has a story and the capacity for good. This novel, The Talk-Funny Girl, showed me that the poor and uneducated can be truly amazing people. I had assumed that most of those people were content with their lifestyle, because of shows like Buckwild and seeing them act happy with where they came from. But after reading The Talk-Funny Girl, I now realize that there are people like this who are desperate to get out and change their lives, having been born into places they don't like and didn't choose to live.The Talk-Funny Girl is about a girl named Marjorie who had been raised by two abusive parents. Due to the fact that she did not attend school until the age of nine, her spoken grammar is off and she speaks a dialect of English that is similar to but not actual standard English. Her parents were uneducated and part of a cult-like church, one in which Marjorie is often abused and tormented. Marjorie is bullied at school for her way of talking and mentally and physically abused at home, methods of which include "boying": having to wear boys' clothes and be called and treated like a boy, in an attempt to degrade Marjorie's identity and gender.At the age of seventeen, Marjorie is told by her parents to find work so she can support their lazy lifestyle (neither of them work and they both smoke and drink). She is hired by a man called Sands to do stonework. Sands, a friend of Marjorie's aunt, wishes to build a cathedral for nondenominational religious prayer. As she becomes more advanced at stone working and her talking improves, she drifts away from her family's harsh and negative way of life.While I wasn't always impressed with Merullo's writing, I really loved the story. The author chose a topic that is not often seen in literature (New England poverty) but he did an excellent job of making the characters seem authentic and real. I might even say this book is eye-opening, in its presentation of people that are often not thought of. This might be one of the best books I have read this year.

I deal with other people's tragedies at work every day and I read to refresh my soul, so books whose subject matter is disturbing are not my go-to. Neither are 17-year old protagonists. I would usually find myself slamming the book shut in frustration over their impulsive decisions and predictable consequences.Yet despite this unlikely combination of what, for me, are usually deal breakers when choosing a book to read, this is probably one of the best books I've ever read. The character development is very good, even for the more minor characters. They were very believable. The story line progressed realistically with some surprising twists. Because the story is a retrospective of the now adult protagonist, you know she somehow overcame her hardships and manages to live a normal adult life, but while reading it, you can't imagine how. And you keep reading to find out.I hate it when a good book ends.

"The Talk-Funny Girl" is a novel of great power. It will find its way under your skin and into your mind, long after you have finished reading it. It also offers comfort, hope and healing, however, much like a warm blanket and bowl of soup helps ease the pain.This book does not shy away from pain. The portrait of Marjorie Richards' life in very rural New Hampshire is brutal (but never overly graphic), shocking, and all too true. What makes the novel different is the strength of the narrator, revealing her upbringing from a distance and perspective, and the fact that Roland Merullo is wise enough to know you needn't be crass or over-the-top to get a message of abuse across.Marjorie is a compelling narrator, a true survivor, strong, intelligent, but carrying a deep hurt. Her character is so finely detailed and well-crafted, at times it is easy to slip away and forget that you are reading a piece of fiction. "The Talk-Funny Girl" fees more honest than most memoirs I have read lately. This is a testament to Merullo's gifts as a writer. The plot of the novel is also tight enough to contribute this feeling of reading about an actual life.I am aware this book won an Alex Award, an award given to mainstream adult fiction books that have young adult crossover appeal. It is my opinion that "The Talk-Funny Girl" should be taught in high schools as an example of first person narration from a female perspective, as well as triumph over an abuse that is more prominent and dangerous than simple teen angst and ennui. This book should be read, and, I feel, it could literally help people in similar situations, or who have lived through similar situations. I say this both as a high school teacher in rural Maine, and as a human being.Roland Merullo is not offering cliché platitudes, but an honest form of wisdom in this novel.As another reviewer mentioned, the worst thing to be said of this novel is the fact that it is poorly marketed. Perhaps this isn't the best forum, but, if you'll allow me to make a broad, soapbox statement, I have one to offer: It is an indictment of the current state of mainstream publishing that a book such as this one was not pushed harder. This is not a novel for a select, small group. This is a novel by a critically acclaimed, award-winning author, who deserves a wider readership, and serious attention from discerning readers, young and not-so-young. In short, it deserves a place on bestseller lists (not only for its important themes, but also for pure skill of telling a page-turning story that is both entertaining and literary), more so than what you find so often.I know Roland Merullo is perhaps best known for what are called his "spiritual comedies" ("Breakfast With Buddha", his best-selling book), but he is actually a master of many different types of novels, from family thrillers ("Revere Beach Boulevard"), to political and personal suspense ("A Russian Requiem" and "Fidel's Last Days"), to intricate, believable love stories ("A Little Love Story"), and, even memoir (the truly excellent "Revere Beach Elegy"). With "The Talk-Funny Girl" and the upcoming "Vatican Waltz" (which I was lucky enough to read an advance copy of, and will review as soon as I am allowed), he has shown an even greater breadth of wisdom and skill. I would say he is a writer at the peak of his powers, but, with each new book, he seems to keep raising that peak higher and higher.Perhaps it is this versatility that makes it harder to "brand" him, as publishers like to do with writers, but, in my humble opinion, it is what makes him a writer worth reading, every single time a new book comes out.Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts on "The Talk-Funny Girl". I hope you buy it. I think you'll be glad you did.

Every book club should read this book.

Good read