I first decided to read Armistead Maupin because he and I have something in common, and that’s how the best relationships begin, isn’t it? I started with his most famous book, Tales of the City. I enjoyed it far more than I expected to and I still have it in my collection. But the Great Library Purge is looming and every book here has to justify its presence. I opened up the Tales to refresh my memory and was immediately drawn in by Maupin’s snappy sense of humor. For now, Tales of the City stays.
Meanwhile, I also have a copy of Maybe the Moon that I picked up years ago but never got around to reading. It’s a library discard. Seeing the discard stamp in a book is always depressing. Poor unloved book! On the surface it’s easy to see how it could be overlooked. The main character, Cady, is 31 inches tall. Do the math. That’s 2 feet, 7 inches. Potential readers might wonder if they can identify with a character who seems so different from themselves, and they might worry that the author will ultimately come off as patronizing or mocking. I read 27 pages last night, too few to form any lasting opinions, but enough to partially relieve those concerns.
I’ll let you know how it turns out.