Coming Full Circle: Kate DiCamillo’s Beverly, Right Here

Three years ago, when Kate DiCamillo first gifted the world with Raymie Nightingale, I immediately fell for Raymie Clarke, hurting but determined. But it wasn’t just Raymie. As I turned the last page, I was left wondering about Raymie’s competitors-turned-friends, Louisiana Elefante and Beverly Tapinski. Would their sisterhood continue as I hoped it would? Would Louisiana and Beverly each find peace for their own hurting hearts?

She lands in the small town of Tamaray Beach, which seems as good a place as any for a new beginning. Next step: find a job. This step is accomplished, thanks to Mr. Denby of Mr. C’s Seafood Restaurant. It’s bussing tables, Mr. C is paying her in cash, and Beverly hates fish. But it’s a job, and she calls her mother to let her know she’s safe. There, while in the phone booth, that she finds a phrase etched into the glass, a phrase that will guide her future decisions. A phrase that leads her to Iola, the old woman who needs Beverly as much as Beverly needs her. And to Elmer, who is the friend Beverly didn’t even realize she was missing. Along with the staff of Mr. C’s, these small town characters will shape the new life Beverly attempts to create for herself, even as she realizes that leaving home isn’t the same as leaving home behind. As Louisiana learned before her, home isn’t a place, but a part of who you are.

DiCamillo’s writing has a dreamlike, lyrical feel, even as the story moves quickly. The reader is spun into Beverly’s sorrow, her longing, her confusion, and, when it comes, her quiet joy. The residents of Tamaray Beach represent the best and the not-so-best of humanity. They represent hope and struggle, good decisions and bad, and the presence of humor in the face of everyday life. Readers who have enjoyed the stories of Raymie and Louisiana will feel a sense of coming full-circle in learning of Beverly’s fate. Readers who are meeting this trio for the first time will want to go back and learn more of Beverly’s heart sisters. Whether you find yourself at the beginning or the end of this trilogy, their stories will stick with you long after the final pages.