At one point in my life I thought off-the-grid living sounded not only cool but like something I’d be willing to give a try. Eventually, I realized that I like frozen pizza and other conveniences that the modern world offers too much to live without them and tossed the idea, though the subject and the people who do make that move still interests me. Reading The Wrong Way Home made me reminisce a bit about that old idea and gave me a peek at what living a simpler life might look like for a young girl, and although the story is fictional, I think it most likely gives a pretty accurate depiction of what living in a small sustainable community might look like.
Right off the bat the narrator, Fern, struck me as a headstrong young woman who loves to explore and learn. The further I read into the story and the more I learned about Fern and her values and thoughts, the more I loved her as a character. She and her mom have lived at the Ranch for almost as long as she can remember, though she does sometimes refer to life before, and she can vaguely recall watching movies and living in a modern town. The Ranch is portrayed as an off-the-grid community that offers a place for those who would like to live their lives in a simpler way and a place to work and live with other like-minded people. Fern has never really questioned their way of life–she believes that the morals and environmentally friendly ideals that the community and their leader, Dr. Ben, hold line up with the beliefs she has; she and her mom seem to fit in pretty well with everyone they share their home with.
Of course, as with any community that is led by someone else’s rules, Fern and her mom do sometimes run into occurrences that they don’t feel the greatest about. For example: a ceremony called “The Rite” that all adolescents go through at some point at the Ranch. No one ever reveals all of the details of what it entails, but Fern is nervous about her upcoming Rite and knows that some young adults have been injured during theirs, and one even died as a result of something that happened during his. Despite uncertainty about some aspects of their community, Fern and her mom seem to believe that the good far outweighs the bad and are dedicated to living a life free of the many toxins the conventional world has to offer.
Fern trusts that Dr. Ben will keep the whole community safe and only tests them to help them realize their strengths, but one night out of nowhere her mom wakes her and they rush out of the Ranch in the dead of night. At first, Fern doesn’t know what to think, and her mom is dodging her questions and acting very nervous and unlike herself. Eventually, she catches on to the fact that they’re not just on some secret mission or adventure that was planned by Dr. Ben and her mom.
Fern might be a bit naïve to the ways of the big world outside of the Ranch, but now that she knows something weird is going on, she determined to find out why she and her mom left their home and what their plans are for the future, even if her mom won’t tell her what’s going on. Seemingly out of nowhere they’ve settled in at a small town and her mom secures a job, giving Fern time to herself to ruminate and scheme over how she can get back to the only home she’s ever really known.
I loved Fern as a character, and it was easy to imagine myself at her age, confused and missing home, just wanting answers and the comfort of routine and the safety the Ranch seemingly offered. I think readers of all ages could pick up this book and find a bit of themselves in Fern’s story, whether they see themselves reflected in Fern, or her mom, who is just trying to be strong and do the right thing for herself and her daughter. This is a quick read that deals with some tough subjects, but in a way that is easy to relate to and digest.
Review of a Digital Advance Reading Copy from Random House Children’s Books
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 2 religious exclamations; 1 mild obscenity.
Violence/Gore: Minors living in sustainable community are sent on a “rite” to learn about life and becoming an adult, some are reported to return injured and one 15-year-old died during his “rite” which is mentioned several times throughout the book; a mention is made of a lighthouse keeper dying in a fire; grandparents are mentioned to have passed away, one from health complications and another in a car crash; a mom worries that someone might take her daughter away from her; a man is reported to have been hit over the head with a rake for asking the wrong question at the wrong time and it is mentioned that someday someone is going to get killed; an adult is mentioned to have gone kayaking and to never return; a minor who has been homeschooled learns about some violent parts of history; a minor explains the thought process behind killing an animal that is suffering and tells a story about how she was made to watch an injured kitten be killed by an adult because it was “humane”; a minor briefly mentions their sister having died from drowning at age two; a diabetic explains diabetes and blood sugar levels and what can happen if the levels aren’t regulated; a man of seemingly high-regard is reported to have been arrested in the past for a physical altercation; a minor is reported to be hurt badly with no explicit detail given; a report is made of a woman falling and hurting herself.
Sex/Nudity: A minor has a conversation about gender and sexual identity in a brief scene; two women are mentioned to be in a relationship.
Mature Subject Matter:
Death; Loss of a loved one; Betrayal; “Putting down” injured animals.
Alcohol/Drug Use:
An adult is offered a cocktail and wine.
