Age Group:
Adult

Genre:
Canadian Literature, Coming-of-age, Realistic Fiction, Social Commentary, Social Classes

Summary:
Baby, a twelve-year-old on the verge of her thirteenth birthday, lives a harrowing and unstable life with her young father Jules. Motherless and living in near desolation on the streets of Montreal has been soul crushing for the impressionable young Baby. She finds herself sent to temporary foster care, banished to a detention facility, and abused by those around her, namely her very own father.

When she’s lured into prostitution by the enigmatic Alphonse, Baby slowly loses touch with reality and finds herself headed on a path toward self destruction. When she meets Xavier, a quirky, middle class boy her own age, she gets a taste of the normal, which leaves her feeling even more hollow inside. Will Baby finally have the courage to seek a better life?

My Thoughts:
Loosely based on her own tragically sad childhood, Heather O’Neill’s first novel Lullabies for Little Criminals is a shocking reminder that childhood is a frail and vulnerable state of existence. And one that is too easily corrupted. This novel is a chilling reminder of what happens when the lines are blurred much too soon.

All that remains is a 13-year-old stripped of her innocence, broken, lonely and confused but desperately reaching out. Reading Baby’s story, it was hard to believe that there are children who actually grow up like this. If anything, it was a reminder of how incredibly lucky I’ve been in my own life.

A fascinating, heart-wrenching novel. Borrow Lullabies for Little Criminals from your local VPL library today!

Have you read this book, or another like it, let me know your thoughts!