Author: Trujillo, Carla Mari
Publisher: Curbstone Press
ISBN: 1-880684-94-2.

Subject: Fiction

In What Night Brings the smart and courageous young protagonist, Marci Cruz, prays for two things each night: first, that her dad disappears and second, that God turns her into a boy. Faith is a big issue for Marci throughout the book. She prays hard, speaks with the nuns often for help to understand what God wants her to do and looks up words in the dictionary to help explain what the adults are talking about. She asks questions from everyone, which eventually gets her into trouble with everyone. A few of the many great things about Marci are that she never stops asking questions and never once does she give up. With the love of her sister and her Uncle Tommy, Marci keeps going. Marci is a fighter. You never quit cheering for her through the story.

The issue of her loving girls is as natural to Marci as reading. The focus on the fact that she likes girls is the same as in any other book about how girls think about boys. This is a refreshing and thought provoking way to handle the subject. There is no explanation nor shame connected to the thoughts. They just are.

The big question in Marci’s life is about her mother. Their father cheats on their mother and beats on the two sisters. Yet their mother refuses to acknowledge any of this. She believes in what her husband tells her. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, Marci and her sister spy on their father and take pictures of him with the other woman to hold for the appropriate time, which of course…well, you read the book.

The story is told from the voice of Marci in a droning intonation. Marci describes beatings as casually as she describes happy moments. Neither holds much promise. This could have been a depressing book except for Marci’s belief that she deserved better and her ability to fight and think. Marci and her sister write their grandmother for help and keep hidden the money their grandmother sends them to take the bus to be with her.

There is some new literature out now that claims that the usual “Fight or Flee” reaction to fear is from the male’s perspective. From a female’s perspective, women tend to group together and share. Marci had her sister with her during the beatings, and had her Uncle Tommy to believe her and knew that she could turn to her grandmother for back up. Did these factors make the difference for Marci? Read the book and you decide.

One thing you will agree on is that Marci is a delight and every child needs to ask as many questions as Marci did. Even if that means getting the nuns mad at you.

Tags: Carla Trujillo, Curbstone Press