ROOSTER by Beth Nixon Weaver, Winslow Press, May 2001

"...You, who are on the road, must have a code that you can live by..." -- Graham Nash

Back in 1962 a migrant couple, whose third child has just been born is befriended by the elderly owners of a small Florida citrus orchard. The trees in the orchard have just been destroyed by a major freeze, and the migrant couple are given their American dream opportunity: they get to buy the land at a price they can afford, replace the trees, and wait seven years for the first crop. In the meantime the father supports the family by working at the local citrus processing plant. The mom helps make ends meet by buying cheap, tacky clothes and cans of "surprise" food--the ones which the labels have dropped off of. And the kids have a healthy schedule of never-ending chores in order to make it all work.

"Look over yonder, what do you see, the sun is a-rising, most definitely..."

Living next door are a father and his two sons, the remaining members of a family who had escaped by sea from Cuba. The younger son is the brain-damaged Rooster.

My reaction to ROOSTER is affected by my ability to relate to the main character, Kady, whose mid-1950's fictional birth was within a year of my own. The story, primarily set in 1969, is well ornamented with references to the clothing, music, TV commercials, and news of the day.

But, to me, it is the background tale of Kady's parents which really drives the story. The way Kady "is" and the way she and her brother respond to the culture and consumerism surrounding them can only be understood when you understand the way they have been raised.

"...I see the bad moon arising. I see trouble on the way. I see earthquakes and lightnin'. I see bad times today..."

My first thoughts of ninth grade (1969) are Woodstock and the Chicago 7 trial. But to Kady's parents, 1969 is to be the long-awaited first commercial crop that their orchard will produce.

Rooster has always called Kady his "madrina," his godmother; he believes that Kady can always make everything okay. But Kady is coming of age and becomes girlfriend to the son of a wealthy Florida land developer. The main story here is what happens when Kady and Jon's careless young love affects everyone around them, especially Rooster.

"What does it take to win your love for me? How can I make this dream come true for me?.."

This is a marvelous tale with a wealth of drama, romance, humor, cruelty, drugs, and rock 'n roll. This first novel by Beth Nixon Weaver is a 12 and up which I see as acceptable for classroom use: The romance is sensual, not sexual--the content is limited to kissing and the ambiguous "making out." Marijuana use is central to the story and is bound to be the catalyst for some important discussions.

"...And in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make..."

Richie Partington

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