The Smell of Other People's Houses

Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

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Just past the intriguing title of this novel, you find a charming tale narrated by four teenagers whose lives become entwined as they face unique challenges of living in Alaska in the 1970s. Ruth, Alyce, Dora, and Hank navigate friendship, love, loss, abuse, isolation, and dreams for a better future as they come to find that you don't have to be blood to be family. The prose flows beautifully through the pages, the descriptions of the landscape and the handling of cultural and background issues are utterly exquisite. A book to return to again and again, not only for the story but to marvel at its simple beauty.

Narrated by Jorjeana Marie, Erin Tripp, Karissa Vacker, and Robbie Daymond. This work is a love letter to life in Alaska and its people, good and bad. The author lived and worked there for many years. You get the sense of being suffocated in a small town yet being fully of the wilderness and wide open spaces. Bonus points for finding an actress who's an Alaska Native to read Dora's story.

Characters:

The characters are distinct and relatable, each facing personal struggles within diverse backgrounds and showcasing various emotional depths.

Writing/Prose:

The writing is lyrical and descriptive, effectively capturing the Alaskan atmosphere and evoking deep emotions through sensory details.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative weaves together multiple perspectives, showcasing characters whose lives intertwine while addressing personal growth and social issues.

Setting:

Set in 1970s Alaska, the story reflects small-town dynamics and the cultural influences that shape the characters' lives amidst a harsh yet beautiful environment.

Pacing:

The pacing starts slowly, builds gradually, and accelerates towards the middle, wrapping up quickly by the end.

At some point I stopped waiting for Mama to come back. It’s hard to hold on to a five-year-old dream, and even harder to remember people after ten years. But I never stopped believing there had to be ...

Notes:

The Smell of Other People s Houses is set in 1970s Alaska, after it became a state.

The story is told from the perspectives of four different teenagers: Ruth, Dora, Alyce, and Hank.

Each character faces their own unique challenges, including family instability, abuse, and teen pregnancy.

The book explores deep themes like poverty, family dynamics, and the search for belonging.

The author, Bonnie Sue Hitchcock, uses vivid sensory descriptions, often including scents to enhance the setting.

Despite its serious themes, the book carries an overall sense of hope and positive endings for the characters.

Readers appreciated the distinct voices of each character, making them relatable and engaging.

The writing style has been described as lyrical and poetic, drawing readers into the Alaskan landscape.

The interconnected stories of the characters culminate in a satisfying, albeit surprising, conclusion despite some perceived implausibility.

It addresses the complexities of adolescence without relying on typical teen romance tropes.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

The book includes triggers such as discussions of abuse, teen pregnancy, and alcoholism, though it handles these topics sensitively.

From The Publisher:

"Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock's Alaska is beautiful and wholly unfamiliar…. A thrilling, arresting debut." -Gayle Forman, New York Times bestselling author of If I Stay and I Was Here

"[A] singular debut. . . . [Hitchcock] weav[es] the alternating voices of four young people into a seamless and continually surprising story of risk, love, redemption, catastrophe, and sacrifice." -The Wall Street Journal

This deeply moving and authentic debut set in 1970s Alaska is for fans of Rainbow Rowell, Louise Erdrich, Sherman Alexie, and Benjamin Alire Saenz. Intertwining stories of love, tragedy, wild luck, and salvation on the edge of America's Last Frontier introduce a writer of rare talent.

Ruth has a secret that she can't hide forever. Dora wonders if she can ever truly escape where she comes from, even when good luck strikes. Alyce is trying to reconcile her desire to dance, with the life she's always known on her family's fishing boat. Hank and his brothers decide it's safer to run away than to stay home-until one of them ends up in terrible danger.

Four very different lives are about to become entangled. This unforgettable William C. Morris Award finalist is about people who try to save each other-and how sometimes, when they least expect it, they succeed.

Praise:

William C. Morris Finalist

Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal

Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award for Young Adult Fiction

Tayshas Reading List-Top 10 List

New York Public Library's Best 50 Books for Teens

Chicago Public Library, Best of the Best List

Shelf Awareness, Best Children's & Teen Books of the Year

Nominated to the Oklahoma Sequoya Book Award Master List

Nominated to the Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award

"Hitchcock's debut resonates with the timeless quality of a classic. This is a fascinating character study-a poetic interweaving of rural isolation and coming-of-age." -John Corey Whaley, award-winning author of Where Things Come Back and Highly Illogical Behavior

"As an Alaskan herself, Bonnie Sue Hitchcock is able to bring alive this town, and this group of poor teens and their families that live there." -Bustle

Ratings (4)

Incredible (1)
Loved It (2)
Liked It (1)

Reader Stats (9):

Read It (4)
Want To Read (4)
Not Interested (1)

2 comment(s)

bonrav448

Liked It

2 months

what a lovely ending 🥲

rogetreads

Loved It

4 months

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. On one hand, I really enjoyed the imagery and the network of characters. The way the book takes its time to weave them closer and closer together until they meet is really entertaining. Overall, it was a very interesting read.

I think the arch with Ruth's grandmother wasn't given enough space and detail to merit the conclusion, so I think I found myself a little bit confused as to what changed her grandmother and made her feel sorry.

Spoiler alert: This book has a really happy ending. In some cases, the reconciliation felt a bit rushed or unbelievable, but it was still satisfying.

I'm not sure how to feel about the Native portrayals in it, as I have very little information about the author and her experiences or if she is affiliated with any tribe. In some ways, the book seemed to oversimplify the relationships and histories between First Nations and Native peoples and the non-Native characters. But, I know very little about the people groups living in that area and someone else can probably speak better to that.

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About the Author:

Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock was born and raised in Alaska. She worked many years fishing commercially with her family and as a reporter for Alaska Public Radio stations around the state. She was also the host and producer of "Independent Native News," a daily newscast produced in Fairbanks, focusing on Alaska Natives, American Indians, and Canada's First Nations. Her writing is inspired by her family's four generations in Alaska.

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