"We are a family on a journey to a place called wonderful" is the motto of Deza Malone's family. Deza is the smartest girl in her class in Gary, Indiana, singled out by teachers for a special path in life. But the Great Depression has hit Gary hard, and there are no jobs for black men. When her beloved father leaves to find work, Deza, Mother, and her older brother Jimmie go in search of him, and end up in a Hooverville outside Flint, Michigan. Jimmie's beautiful voice inspires him to leave the camp to be a performer, while Deza and Mother find a new home, and cling to the hope that they will find Father. The twists and turns of their story reveal the devastation of the Depression and prove that Deza truly is the Mighty Miss Malone.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful.
The Mighty Miss Malone
By AllieShae
"Gang aft a-gley," This unique phrase was used throughout the book, The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis. Deza Malone's teacher Mrs. Needham most fittingly describes the phrase, "No matter how well you think something through, many times schemes simply will not work out. They will go astray."The Malone's were a family with their own motto. Everyone embarks on a journey to find a place and life they've always dreamed to have. The Malone's had that dream within their motto. They hoped to adventure to a place where money, jobs, and material objects were not of concern. A place where this transcendent family could live freely, a place called Wonderful.Unfortunately, Deza and the Malone family experience more gang aft a-gley than Wonderful. Despite the struggle and hardships of being an African American family during the Depression they accepted what was dealt to them and fought through the toughest time in history.Curtis uses the Malone family to paint a picture of 1930's during the worldwide economic depression. A time when jobs were nearly impossible to obtain and families were often broken when men had to leave to find work. The economies decline forced many people to become homeless and live their life in poverty.Curtis' writing goes into such detail that you can actually smell the stench from the boxcars that the family used as a means of transportation to find their father. When Deza had to part from her best friend, I felt genuinely sad and could understand her heartache. It was easy to experience the same feeling as the people in crowd did when they listened to Jimmie sing. I could close my eyes and hear the smooth melody of his angelic voice. I cringed when I read about the bugs crawling out of the oatmeal box that Deza was having for breakfast. Curtis' ability to bring you into his story is one of the brilliant literary tactics that makes this book so compelling.From start to finish, the story is filled with diverse emotions. I felt sad and empathetic, but the humor and wit the family possessed made the story funny and suspenseful.The fact that people had to live through the Depression and experience things that we take for granted makes the story a learning lesson. Many simple items were commodities to families in this era. Deza never knew what it was like to have a pair of shoes that actually fit or clothes without holes. The horrendous smell from her rotting teeth was overwhelming due to lack of dental care. Jimmie thought the name of a cheese brand was, "Do Not Sell," because all he had ever eaten was out of date welfare food.The book provides an exceptional example of existence during the depression. Curtis portrays a family's life during a tragic time in our countries history. This book takes a glimpse into the era and serves as a realistic historical fiction piece of literature.The advanced vocabulary in the book may be challenging for lower readers but is easy to comprehend. It is intended for children ages 9-12 but can be enjoyed by any age. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful.Burma-Shave!
By berserk_hijabi
A tragedy,a true tragedy..that this book has to end!(as the Mighty Miss Malone would say.)Honestly,this book is a GEM.I checked it out from the library,but soon as my allowance adds up I am getting both this book AND Bud,Not Buddy.Deza Malone is a true heroine,making my Top Ten Heros/Heroines!I don't know how Curtis pulls it off,but Deza is someone that reaches your heart.The way she thinks,the way she acts,and even the way she looks at her situation,is truly amazing.Then there are also those little details that make her even more of a character to remember,like when she overhears her parents arguing,and her dad saying how he just has to get work and money because Deza's rotting teeth got so bad that he has to hold in his breath when he hugs her.And her brother Jimmie's angel voice,it's like you can hear it.The buggy oatmeal as well.Then there's the shaving advertisement,with its cheesy theme song,and how whenever the Malones go by they yell "Burma Shave!" These itty-bitty- details make Deza so much more real, so much more of someone to identify with and understand their struggles,than-let's say-Kit from the American Girl series.I love Kit as I have always been fascinated by the Great Deppresion,and I also love writing...but Curtis makes you truly understand what it is to be like a black kid in the Great Dep.That is to say,this book has its wit too.I don't think it's as funny as Bud-Not-Buddy-or maybe it is,I don't know.I haven't read Bud Not Buddy in a very long time,but I do remember that I almost busted my gut laughing,and that didn't happen with this book.This book,I think,I will be keeping on my shelf along with a few other favorites,like Anne of Green Gables,Fair Weather and some others.Conclusion: Get it and get it NOW.
16 of 20 people found the following review helpful.
Not quite as "Mighty" as I thought
By Meghan
The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis is created from the mention of a young girl in a Hooverville in Curtis's previous acclaimed novel for middle-graders, Bud Not Buddy. While I relished the idea to discover more about this plucky, young lady, I was ultimately rather disappointed in her inability to step up and be the hero of her own story.'Deza is an incredibly bright girl growing up in Gary, Indiana,where she is heralded by her teachers as being "the one student who could make a real contribution." She is a member of a loving family, who joyfully cares for one another despite their growing poverty and absence of a job for her father.When tragedy knocks on the Malone's door step, the family dynamic is shaken and Mr. Malone feels he has no choice but to leave the home and look else where for employment. Thus begins a journey of Hoovervilles, prejudice, and separation for the remainder of the Malone's as they travel to find Deza's father and a stable living environment.What drew me to this book (besides being an immense fan of the author's previous work) was the idea of a young, African-American girl of this particular time period (the age of the Hooverville) using her whit and intelligence to save her family. Deza is likable and funny from the very beginning and you can't help but root for her. And as the story goes on, you can't help but be disappointed that Curtis doesn't give her more opportunities to be the hero. SPOILER ALERT!I anticipated the moment when Deza's intelligence would rescue her family and pull them back together, but I never was really able to enjoy that moment. In reality, it is Deza's brother that does the rescuing,and despite his absence from the storyline for a period, he quickly steals the reins from her. While Deza expresses the sorrow and frustrations of her family, the reader ends up feeling as though she is a vessel for narration, but not quite suitable to be the go-getter her family requires in their time of need.The story is intriguing and an enjoyable read, and Deza is surely mighty in her own way, but she isn't given the chance to shine that the reader will be expecting. For a true regaling of "girl power" in another example of African American history, check out Delia Sherman's recent novel, The Freedom Maze.
