Brooklyn Heights resident releases enchanting debut novel
Credits Brooklyn as Supportive Home for Writers
Lucy – the bewitching narrator of Julie Sarkissian’s debut novel “Dear Lucy” – has an unusual if sometimes eerie voice. While Lucy often cannot “find the words” she needs to express herself, Sarkissian – a young Brooklyn writer – infuses the character with a captivating narrative that has been aptly compared to the voices in Emma Donoghue’s “Room” and Mark Haddon’s “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.”
Lucy’s “Mum mum” has sent her to live on a farm with Mister and Missus, who do not treat her particularly well, and Samantha, a pregnant teenager who becomes Lucy’s only friend. In her childlike yet astutely observant manner, Lucy constantly reminds herself that she has to be good so that she can stay on the farm and her Mum mum – who she’s certain is coming back for her – will know where to find her. Yet despite her resolve to please Mister and Missus, Lucy often gets in the way.
In spite of its quirks, Lucy’s voice is relatable and compelling. She explains the feeling of her egg-filled apron pockets rubbing against her legs as “nice like someone who would hug your legs. It isn’t really a place to hug but that is why you would want it. Because you thought nobody would remember that place.” When describing how Missus sleeps, Lucy observes, “Missus sleeps like when a person dies and you put them in a box to stay hidden in the ground, with hands on her heart on top of the covers.”
With such a unique disposition, Lucy is a lonely character, but Samantha offers altruistic friendship and guidance. She looks out for Lucy and shares stories from her past. But when Samantha encounters her own trouble, Lucy is forced to act without her friend’s leadership. Torn between her effort to be good and her determination to help Samantha, Lucy embarks on a journey that reveals her unflinching compassion and determination.