Came Back to Show You I Could Fly
Encyclopedia
Came Back to Show You I Could Fly is a novel by Robin Klein
. It tells the story of a friendship between a lonely 11-year-old boy and a drug-addicted, pregnant 20-year-old woman. It was made into a film in 1993 called Say a Little Prayer
, directed by Richard Lowenstein
. It was given the designation of White Raven book at the 1990 Bologna Children's Book Fair
.
Thelma is a woman who Seymour's mother had formed a "casual and tenuous acquaintance". Thelma is meticulous and tart. At her house Seymour is bored and unhappy. During the day, while Thelma is at work, Seymour is not allowed to open the door, or leave the house, because of his mother's fear that his father might come and take him away.
However, after a few days, Seymour climbs over the back gate and walks to the nearby shops. Seymour goes in a few shops then to the park. At the park a group of children tease him. Not knowing how to defend himself, Seymour runs away. The children chase him. Seymour gets lost, and can't find his back gate. He goes through a gate which he guesses is his, but it is not. Instead he meets a young girl: Angie. Angie is in her late teens, and Seymour describes her a beautiful angel. Seymour and Angie become friends, and Angie takes him on outings to the horse races, shops and a restaurant. Seymour has faint suspicions about Angie, but refuses to believe them.
One day, Seymour finds Angie in her flat acting "peculiar" and looking sick. Seymour goes back to Thelma's house and calls Angie's sister, Lynne, whom he met previously. Lynne comes over and calls her father, who drives up to Angie's flat and takes Angie away. Several days later, Seymour decides to go to Angie's flat and clean it for when she comes home. However, Seymour finds that it has already been cleaned and almost everything is packed away. Lynne finds Seymour in the flat and tells Seymour Angie won't be coming back, and reveals that Angie has been taking drugs for nearly five years. Lynne describes how Angie has promised, many times, to her parents that she will go to rehab, and that Angie's boyfriend James, is in jail. Angie is going to Rankin House temporarily, a rehabilitation center nearby, then Lakeview, another center.
While Angie is at Rankin House, Seymour decides to go see her to give her back her doll that that was left at the flat. Seymour gets to Rankin House and finds Angie, who desperately pretends she has been sick with Pleurisy
and is going to be back soon. Angie and Seymour begin to fight, but Seymour, weary of her lies, gives her back her doll and leaves. The rest of the novel is a letter from Angie. In the letter Angie apologizes to Seymour and says that she is at Lakeview, pregnant and going to have her baby soon, and when she gets out she and the baby will live with her parents for a while.
In the postscript there is a letter from Seymour in reply to Angie. He describes in the letter that he likes Carrucan, the place where he and his mother have moved to, and that his father came to visit him and got a job as a truck driver. Seymour says he has made a friend called Martin and is learning to swim, and that when Angie gets out of Lakeview and goes to live with her parents he suggests they go out to places with her baby.
Angela "Angie" Fleur Easterbrook is a kind and charismatic 20-year-old who becomes friends with Seymour. Unbeknownst to Seymour, Angie is pregnant, taking drugs and in debt with drug dealers.
Marie Kerley is Seymour's strong-willed, dramatic mother.
Mr. Kerley is Seymour's alcoholic, jobless father.
Thelma is an acquaintance of Seymour's mother through a church group. She is fussy and childless.
Jennette Easterbrook is Angie's mother.
Lynne Easterbook is Angie's 14-year-old ballet-dancer sister.
David Easterbrook is Angie's brother.
Stuart Easterbrook is Angie's father.
James (Jas) is Angie's boyfriend. He stole from her parents and got her onto drugs. He is the father of her unborn child, and is currently in jail.
Robin Klein
Robin McMaugh Klein is an Australian author of books for children. She was born 28 February 1936, in Kempsey, New South Wales and now resides near Melbourne.-Early life:...
. It tells the story of a friendship between a lonely 11-year-old boy and a drug-addicted, pregnant 20-year-old woman. It was made into a film in 1993 called Say a Little Prayer
Say a Little Prayer (film)
Say a Little Prayer is a children's film by Richard Lowenstein. It stars Sudi de Winter, Fiona Ruttelle, Rebecca Smart, Lynne Murphy and Jill Forster. The film was written by Richard Lowenstein, based on Robin Klein's novel, Came Back to Show You I Could Fly...
, directed by Richard Lowenstein
Richard Lowenstein
Richard Lowenstein is an Australian film director. He has written, produced and directed the feature films He Died With A Felafel In His Hand, Dogs In Space, Say a Little Prayer, Strikebound and Ghost Story, as well as numerous ground-breaking and award-winning music videos for bands such as INXS...
. It was given the designation of White Raven book at the 1990 Bologna Children's Book Fair
Bologna Children's Book Fair
The Bologna Children's Book Fair or La fiera del libro per ragazzi is the leading professional fair for children's books in the world.Since 1963, it is held yearly for four days in March or April in Bologna, Italy...
.
Plot
The novel begins with shy and lonely 11-year-old Seymour Kerley, staying at an acquaintance of his mother's for the summer holidays. Seymour's parents have broken up and arguing over custody of him. When Seymour was staying with his father, an alcoholic, the latter had drunkenly threatened to take Seymour away interstate. Although Seymour himself thought this was a shallow threat, as his father had little money and was often jobless, his mother took him away to stay at Victoria Road with Thelma.Thelma is a woman who Seymour's mother had formed a "casual and tenuous acquaintance". Thelma is meticulous and tart. At her house Seymour is bored and unhappy. During the day, while Thelma is at work, Seymour is not allowed to open the door, or leave the house, because of his mother's fear that his father might come and take him away.
However, after a few days, Seymour climbs over the back gate and walks to the nearby shops. Seymour goes in a few shops then to the park. At the park a group of children tease him. Not knowing how to defend himself, Seymour runs away. The children chase him. Seymour gets lost, and can't find his back gate. He goes through a gate which he guesses is his, but it is not. Instead he meets a young girl: Angie. Angie is in her late teens, and Seymour describes her a beautiful angel. Seymour and Angie become friends, and Angie takes him on outings to the horse races, shops and a restaurant. Seymour has faint suspicions about Angie, but refuses to believe them.
One day, Seymour finds Angie in her flat acting "peculiar" and looking sick. Seymour goes back to Thelma's house and calls Angie's sister, Lynne, whom he met previously. Lynne comes over and calls her father, who drives up to Angie's flat and takes Angie away. Several days later, Seymour decides to go to Angie's flat and clean it for when she comes home. However, Seymour finds that it has already been cleaned and almost everything is packed away. Lynne finds Seymour in the flat and tells Seymour Angie won't be coming back, and reveals that Angie has been taking drugs for nearly five years. Lynne describes how Angie has promised, many times, to her parents that she will go to rehab, and that Angie's boyfriend James, is in jail. Angie is going to Rankin House temporarily, a rehabilitation center nearby, then Lakeview, another center.
While Angie is at Rankin House, Seymour decides to go see her to give her back her doll that that was left at the flat. Seymour gets to Rankin House and finds Angie, who desperately pretends she has been sick with Pleurisy
Pleurisy
Pleurisy is an inflammation of the pleura, the lining of the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs. Among other things, infections are the most common cause of pleurisy....
and is going to be back soon. Angie and Seymour begin to fight, but Seymour, weary of her lies, gives her back her doll and leaves. The rest of the novel is a letter from Angie. In the letter Angie apologizes to Seymour and says that she is at Lakeview, pregnant and going to have her baby soon, and when she gets out she and the baby will live with her parents for a while.
In the postscript there is a letter from Seymour in reply to Angie. He describes in the letter that he likes Carrucan, the place where he and his mother have moved to, and that his father came to visit him and got a job as a truck driver. Seymour says he has made a friend called Martin and is learning to swim, and that when Angie gets out of Lakeview and goes to live with her parents he suggests they go out to places with her baby.
Characters
Seymour Kerley is 11 years old and the self-conscious and reserved main character, living temporarily with Thelma.Angela "Angie" Fleur Easterbrook is a kind and charismatic 20-year-old who becomes friends with Seymour. Unbeknownst to Seymour, Angie is pregnant, taking drugs and in debt with drug dealers.
Marie Kerley is Seymour's strong-willed, dramatic mother.
Mr. Kerley is Seymour's alcoholic, jobless father.
Thelma is an acquaintance of Seymour's mother through a church group. She is fussy and childless.
Jennette Easterbrook is Angie's mother.
Lynne Easterbook is Angie's 14-year-old ballet-dancer sister.
David Easterbrook is Angie's brother.
Stuart Easterbrook is Angie's father.
James (Jas) is Angie's boyfriend. He stole from her parents and got her onto drugs. He is the father of her unborn child, and is currently in jail.
Awards
- Human Rights Award (1989) - Children's Book
- Children's Book Council of Australia, Book of the Year Awards (1990) - Older
- COOL Award, Canberra/ACT popular choice award (1992) - Secondary
Reviews
- School Library Journal, February, 1991, Libby White, review of Came Back to Show You I Could Fly, p. 81
- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, November, 1990, Roger Sutton, review of Came Back to Show You I Could Fly, p. 64
- Voice of Youth Advocates, February, 1991, James Cook, review of Came Back to Show You I Could Fly, p. 352.