<h3>Deliver Us From Evie</h3>

Kerr, M. (1994). Deliver Us from Evie. NY: Harper Collins. ISBN: 0060244755.

Plot Summary: A skilled mechanic and farmer on her family's Missouri property, seventeen-year old Evie Burrman has a streak of blond in her slicked-back dark hair, a sign quietly calculated to ward off other people's assumptions that she'll marry Cord Whittle, and that she'll help her Dad keep the farm going. Evie's story is told by her younger brother, Parr, who understands that Evie is falling in love, not with Cord Whittle, but with Patsy, the daughter of the man who holds the mortgage to their family farm.

Meanwhile, Parr falls for a girl whose fundamentalist family is fearful of homosexuality. Tension builds slowly until the truth about Evie explodes out of Parr, not just to their parents, but to the whole town. In the end, Evie and Patsy run away together to New York City.

Critical Evaluation: This is a multilayered and well-plotted story about the ramifications of being gay in a small, conservative community. An exploration of the stereotypes and rigid reactions of the town is poignant and sad. The protagonist, Parr, is a loving, self-absorbed brother who tries to keep peace in the family, yet is conflicted by his own emotions and thoughts. It becomes interesting how Evie’s realistic and adult relationship with Patsy contrasts with her brother’s shallow, but more “proper” relationships. Still, no one is completely villainous or victimized in this story, which adds aspects of real life to it. With thoughtfulness and some humor, this novel is more memorable than I thought it would be. Written in 1994, it’s one of the better young adult novels written about lesbianism and much more tame than today’s depictions.

Reader’s Annotation:
Parr knows his sister, Evie, doesn’t plan to stay working on the farm and living the kind of life his family expects in their small town. Instead, she is falling in love with a girl. What will happen when everyone finds out?

Information About the Author:
M. E. Kerr was born in 1927 in New York. She attended Vermont Junior College in 1945 and the University of Missouri from 1946-1949, where she majored in English literature. She began writing young adult novels with much early success and since then has been awarded the American Library Association's Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement and the ALAN award from the National Council of Teachers of English. Deliver Us From Evie received much critical acclaim and she was among the recipients of the 2007 Alice B. Medal awards for outstanding writers of lesbian fiction. She currently lives in East Hampton on New York's Long Island.

Genre:
Teen Issues: Outsiders, Sexual Identity
Contemporary Life: Coming of Age
Multicultural Fiction: Multiple Cultures and Culture Clash

Curriculum Ties: English class, Social Studies class, Psychology class, Book clubs

Booktalking Ideas:
1.) Life and culture in a small town
2.) Evie’s physical appearance as an indication of her defiance
3.) Parr’s family’s reaction to Evie’s announcement
4.) Evie’s relationship with Patsy
5.) How Parr matures during the novel

Reading Level/Interest Age: Grades 9-12

Challenge Issues/Defenses:

Potential Challenges:
• Homosexuality
• References to Smoking
• Depictions of sexual behavior
• Adult Language
• Content includes references to drinking and smoking

Defense Strategy:
• Provide our Collection Development Policy (which includes Young Adult scope): http://ww2.cityofpasadena.net/library/collection.asp

• Refer to awards won by this book from reputable organizations:
http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780064471282/Deliver_Us_from_Evie/index.aspx

• Provide book reviews by actual readers on a publicly accessible website:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Deliver-Us-from-Evie/M-E-Kerr/e/9780064471282

Why This Book Was Included: I’ve read many M.E. Kerr over the years and this is one her more daring ones. It’s a well-balanced and realistic portrayal of gay teens from that time who are fighting to accept themselves without the benefit of today’s broader awareness and activism. It’s a story of one family’s experience and how that ripples out into the larger community. A good read by an established YA author.