Claiming Georgia Tate

Amateau, G. (2005). Claiming Georgia Tate. Cambridge, Mass: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763633119

Plot Summary

                       Georgia Tate is perfectly content living with her grandparents.  Her father is far away and her mother is dead – or so she thought.  The same day she finds out that her mother is actually alive somewhere in the world is the day her beloved grandmother suffers a stroke and dies.  Thinking it is the best thing for her, Georgia’s grandfather sends her to live with her father, a prospect that terrifies her.  The things her father did to her on a recent visit, unmentionable things that make her feel wrong inside, are a secret she cannot divulge to her grandfather.  Her father’s girlfriend quickly becomes jealous of the inappropriate attention he gives to Georgia and kicks them both out, leaving the two of them alone in a filthy apartment.  She is forced to dress provocatively and act as his girlfriend in public, her only hope that he will drink enough to pass out at night before starting in on her.  She is completely alone and struggling to survive – until she meets a fascinating transsexual in an upstairs apartment who seems understanding and willing to help.  This story is gritty, unflinching, and dark, but there are elements of light and hope for Georgia as she struggles to escape her pain.

Critical Analysis

                           The subject matter of this book – sexual abuse at the hands of the main character’s father - is uncomfortable and disturbing but handled tastefully.  There are scenes of seduction and affection that will make the reader squirm, and the pinnacle of the abuse, the rape scene, is painful but not gratuitous.  Much is left up to the imagination of the reader in a way that feels artful rather than insufficient.  Georgia’s isolation and unhappiness are the main focus of this story, and the reader feels these emotions along with her as she struggles to feed herself adequately, entertain herself during long, lonely hours, and fight against the filth of the apartment where she lives with her father.  She is in a hopeless situation but keeps battling forward despite downfall after downfall.  The cast of characters surrounding her is diverse and fully realized – her grandparents and aunt and their gentle, southern ways, the transvestite Tamika and her tough but sympathetic personality after years of facing personal opposition, her father and his deeply inappropriate, violent possession of Georgia, and the unexpectedly kind ex-convict she meets on the bus when she is finally heading home.  It’s true that this novel does lay the tragedy on thick.  There is sexual abuse, mental illness, a recounted suicide attempt, death, extreme misfortune, and there is the feeling of Georgia never catching a break no matter how hard she tries to rise above.  But despite this, the novel does not feel too heavy-handed.  There is humor and hope with Tamika, the pure love of her grandfather and all of her family back home, unexpected kindness popping up at times when she needs it most, and Georgia herself, buffeted by these difficult situations but fighting to move forward despite them.  The language of this novel is also lovely.  The dialog is realistic and the settings are fully described so that the reader always has a good sense of the place.  All of these elements make this book an absorbing and quick, if somewhat heavy, read.

Reader’s Annotation

                                  Georgia feels safe with her grandparents - safe from a father who does things to her that no father should do – but this world collapses when she loses her beloved grandmother and is sent to stay with her father and their terrible secret.  She is struggling to make it from day to day and losing hope when she meets an unlikely ally in an upstairs apartment.

About the Author

                            Gigi Amateau was raised in Virginia and went to school for Urban Studies and Planning.  For twenty years she worked in the nonprofit community.  She currently lives in Virginia with her husband and their daughter.  When she is not writing, she enjoys riding horses, bird-watching, and gardening.

                             Claiming Georgia Tate was Amateau’s first novel and achieved considerable success.  Among others, she received honors and praise from School Library Journal, New York Public Library, and Book Sense.  She has written two other books and taken part in an anthology as well.

Genre

         Issues - abuse

Challenge Issues

                          Possible challenge issues in this book include profanity, suicide, sex and sexual abuse, a transvestite character, and alcoholism.  In the event of a challenge, I would consult the challenge defense file prepared for this book.  The challenge defense file would include: positive reviews from credible sources for the purpose of proving merit to the challenger; negative reviews in order to inform me on what might be challenged; a written explanation of my own rationale for including the book in the collection as well as a summary of the plot; the American Library Association Bill of Rights; a review of my branch’s selection policy; and, as a last resort, an explanation of the reconsideration policy for my library and an official reconsideration form.

Curriculum Ties

                         English and Writing: place, dialog, and character development.

Booktalk

              What if you suddenly lost someone who meant the world to you and had to move to an unfamiliar place where you felt threatened?  What if you had to figure out how to get food, how to clean and maintain an entire filthy apartment, and you had no one to talk to, no one to help?  This is what Georgia is going through, and much worse.  Read this book to find out how she copes and how she manages to find help even when her world is at its darkest.

Reading Level and Interest Age

                                                    Grades 10-12.

                                                  

Why I Included This Book

                                         This is a well-written book about an important issue.  Amateau handles disturbing subject matter with grace and realism.  Teens will benefit from understanding the difficult topics set forth in Georgia's story whether they have gone through something like this or not.  For these reasons, I feel it enhances any collection.   

References                  

Amateau, G. (2011). About Gigi. Retrieved from http://www.gigiamateau.com/books.php