Having won 21 awards, The Improbable Wonders of Moojie Littleman is being lauded as a classic. A haunting, visionary tale spun in the magical realist tradition of Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time and Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane, the profoundly unique voice and heart-stirring narrative recall great works of fiction that explore the universal desire to belong. Early 1900s, …
Early 1900s, Western America. A lonely, disabled boy with a nasty temper and miraculous healing powers, Moojie is taken by his father to live at his grandfather’s wilderness farm. There, Moojie meets otherworldly outcasts and wants to join them. Following a series of trials–magical and mystical–he is summoned by the call to a great destiny … if only he can survive one last terrifying trial.
more
Exquisite writing blended seamlessly with the pangs and angst of growing up and the wonders of magical realism. A tour de force debut! Keep your eye on this author.
This is a beautifully written story. Original, fresh Visionary Fiction with endearing characters and surprising plot twists.
‘In Moojie’s lonely world, great warriors were born out of heads and auspicious children had their very own planet.’
This story really touched me. Sometimes the dialogues made zero sense to me but there were hilarious to read. Like calling someone ‘one sandwich short of a picnic.’ English isn’t my first language so I’m not sure if the expressions that were used, exist. Still, they were funny and ultimately I really liked the writing.
Little Moojie was a great character and I couldn’t not feel for him as he fights his loneliness and finds that Love is the most important thing in the world. A truly beautiful coming-of-age story with some magical elements in there.
Moojie Littleman was a gift to his parents from the nuns of San Miguel delas Gaviotas after they discovered him on their doorstep after the heels of an earthquake. From his early years he was a mute and deformed little darling that captured his adoptive mother’s heart and ignited intolerance in her husband. But through it all Moojie has a supernatural gift that caused candelabras to stop swaying and the wounded to heal. Anyway, I found this book to be very magical and intriguing. I say this because his biological parents had been interracial lovers which I suspect gave him his magical abilities. His small-minded grandfather that his father left him to was not accepting of a race he called “hostiles” that lived among nature who I come to discover are of Moojie’s mother’s ethnic background. There are lessons about tolerance and anti-racism that this book will teach its readers so I recommend it to all to give it a try to learn about. It’s a easy-to-read story for all mature and teenage readers. It has a blend of YA and adult elements so it does not belong in either genre. Enjoy!
Saying that ‘The Improbable Wonders of Moojie Littleman’ by Robin Gregory, is storytelling at its absolute finest, is not an exaggeration, in fact, I’m probably underselling it. Robin Gregory has created magic in this novel – her ability to stir up emotions in the reader is incredible, and in the end, I felt fulfilled. Transcending traditional genres of fiction, this is a novel that’s flowing narrative will draw you in and really touch your heart. Read it, and then recommend it – this is a book that deserves to be read.
In Moojie Littleman, Gregory has created a character is that could steal ever the hardest of hearts… He hasn’t had the greatest of starts – orphaned, abandoned, adopted and then abandoned once more into the care of his racist and harsh adopted grandfather. Moojie finds solace in the mythical Light-Eaters that live near the borders of his grandfather’s farm, but with them, will he find his place in the world at last?
I really empathised with the Improbable Wonder that IS Moojie Littleman, a boy who doesn’t close his heart off to the world, and is rewarded with miracles…how beautiful is that?
Highly Recommend to Lovers of Magical Realism and Fantasy!
“The Improbable Wonders of Moojie Littleman” by Robin Gregory is a wonderful, unique and original novel. Gregory’s book can be classified as magical realism, fantasy, and YA fiction. Woven into the story are wonderful characters, beautiful descriptions, excellent writing, and rich dialogue. There is a deep message in the story about staying true to one’s course. Moojie’s tale is about growing through wounds, developing resilience, healing, forgiveness, and mediating with one’s enemy—which is ultimately a reflection of some buried wound within ourselves. Gregory artfully demonstrates through her excellent storytelling how humility can be so often misinterpreted by others as insecurity or vulnerability.
I loved this book and its magic, flavorful characters, and beautiful blend of realism and fantasy! “The Improbable Wonders of Moojie Littleman” was unique to me as a person who loves the genre of magical realism. What was so unusual–in a great and wonderful way–about Gregory’s writing is that she conveys the story with depth and tenderness through a backdrop of dryness, rather than the usual lushness found in magical realism. Yet, the author’s tone is the perfect complement to her story. I say this because Moojie is full of magic that is unrecognized and disregarded by others –so there is an austerity that he must break through, and this is reflected in Gregory’s tone and descriptions.
The story of Moojie Littleman is the story of the hero’s journey as Moojie has great burdens to overcome as well as isolation and grief. Yet, the reader senses the hope within his heart that never can be extinguished entirely. Ultimately, Moojie comes to accept, love and embrace parts of himself that he was certain would be branded to him forever like tar and feathers. The reader knows all along the magic that Moojie possesses, and ultimately, one sees he was born into a world that could not understand him until he finished his own journey of inner healing and accepting who he is –regardless of other’s misperceptions. It is at this point that those that could not see the truth of Moojie’s being can finally see the beauty of who he is.
This book is delightful, original, intriguing, mysterious, and over brimming with magical creativity!
I found this to be a pretty well-written piece of young adult fiction, covering a lot of themes: disability, acceptance, trust, secrecy, love, magic and riddles to name but a few. It’s the coming of age story of the title character, Moojie Littleman, his abandonment and the cast of characters – some otherworldly – that he meets on his journey, and what he learns along the way. Set in the 1890s this lively tale is told with great attention to detail and language and has some fantastic touches, including my favourites, the Bureau of Questionable Peoples and St Isodore’s Fainting Goat Dairy and the description ‘diff-abled’. If you fancy immersing yourself in a wonder-filled world of fantasy, you should definitely try Robin Gregory’s The Improbable Wonders of Moojie Littleman.
The turn of the 20th century would not have been an easy time for a bi-racial orphan, particularly one who has been slow to develop and has physical disabilities, and for Moojie he has to learn this the hard way. Tragedy strikes one too many times and he ends up in the care of an adopted grandfather who does little to hide his disdain for the boy. One day Moojie encounters a clan of people living within the forest, he is taken into the fold and learns of his destiny to become a great leader. Can the amazing young boy, overcome his abandonment issues and release the magical powers that lie dormant within him? The future of so many depends on it. Acceptance, hope, and family are the key themes in this novel, and it is wonderful to see them thread through a fantasy narrative. Beautiful!
Fans of the brilliant Pan’s Labyrinth by Guillermo del Toro, are certain to enjoy The Improbable Wonders of Moojie Littleman by Robin Gregory. They both feature young protagonists who find themselves within a family where they don’t fit, and they both escape into a magical world, where they have the power to make a real difference. Moojie finds respite from his difficult life in the world of a magical and mythical clan. He learns that he has a great destiny to fulfil, but it may cost him his life.
This wonderful adventure novel is one that the whole family can enjoy – it’s writing style is accessible, but not naïve, and the characters, particularly Moojie himself, and engaging and enthralling. Full of love, hope, and compassion, The Improbably Wonders of Moojie Littleman is a book that is good for the soul. Tragic in parts, but also so joyful and full of life.
Young Moojie would have every right to feel like the world is against him. Born with a number of physical impairments, abandoned at an orphanage by his biological parents, and then suffering through the tragic death of his adopted mother, he finds himself living on the farm of his openly racist, unloving adopted grandfather. The work on the dairy farm is harsh, made harder by the drunken threats from his only caregiver, not only to Moojie himself but also to the local ‘hostiles’ who live in the forests nearby. But, there is a lot more to these ‘hostiles’ than Moojie realises, and they have taken a real interest in the strong and hopeful boy.
Moojie is the star of this novel, he will inspire hope and passion in any reader. He may have some magical gifts, but he has inside himself something so much more valuable. I fell in love with this novel – a story about family not necessarily being about biological ties, but about being the people you share experiences with and are willing to make sacrifices for.
This story really throws you into another time and in another world very similar to our own. This isn’t the first story about a young kid with terrible trials, but the struggle this character has to go through (disability, abandonment, etc) makes my heart hurt for him. That makes the magic that Moojie finds that much more…well, magical.
Robin Gregory takes a normal coming of age story and adds a realistic, positive twist in the otherwise dark life of Moojie. Couple that with the strong writing and we’ve got a great story that will take you away from your reading nook and into the unfortunate trials of the beloved main character as he figures out what means most to him. Gregory really nailed the middle of the book and tied it together nicely (even though the ending could have been a bit stronger). Be patient with the story, as it does take a bit to pick up and grab you, but you’ll be glad it did.
The Improbable Wonders of Moojie Littleman by Robin Gregory reads much like a fable about a little boy who has a lot going against him. First, he’s a foundling, seems slow to develop and is quite limited in many ways. However, he does seem to have magical powers that astound not only the nuns who first take him in, but the parents who ultimately adopt him. Misfortune seems to follow Moojie around, and he spends much of his time recovering from one disaster to another in this fantastical coming of age story. The plot itself is meaningfully written in a poetic style, often with made up words that will appeal to the younger audience. While a little hard to follow the story sometimes, the overall message is a positive one and is something we can all aspire to in our lives. After all life is about making choices.
Summary
The Improbable Wonders of Moojie Littleman is a magical realism novel by Robin Gregory. Moojie is a crippled child under the care of the nuns of San Miguel de las Gaviotas. The Littlemans adopted him and loved him like their own. His life changed drastically when his mother died because his father sent him to his grandfather at St. Isidore’s Fainting Goat Dairy. Moojie didn’t get along with his Pappy which made him long for a place where he would belong. When he started to meet mystical creatures and discovered his own supernatural abilities, he felt like he belonged in the mystical world, rather than with humans who seemed indifferent towards him because of his physical disability.
Review
This book is suitable for all ages! I thought I was about to read a children’s book, but I realized that even adults would love this story. Who wouldn’t want to read about a crippled boy who has extraordinary abilities like having extrasensory perception and healing power? And it’s not only his character who’s interesting, there are Light-Eaters who can speak any language they want, there’ Ninti who can see the past and the future, there are friendly dragonflies, and more.
I’m giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. It’s a heartwarming, coming-of-age story that teaches the value of friendship, family, and self-worth. I really wish that this great literary piece would be adapted into a movie! I highly recommend this to ALL readers regardless of age. This book is a MUST-READ!
From reading the first chapter it is easy to see why “The Improbable Wonders of Moojie Littleman” by Robin Gregory is an award winning novel. This powerful and intriguing literary story is made more compelling with the addition of magical and mystical elements. A stand out novel in all of it’s genres, this book is truly a beautiful tale worthy of a 5-star rating, based on many reasons detailed below:
* A powerful lead character captivates the readers heart. Moojie, a native orphan, found love and family in the most unusual characters. Born with disabilities and a slow mind, many in society found it hard to accept him, making him all the more stronger. In addition to having a big heart, Moojie is born with many gifts, adding more depth to the lead character.
* Moojie’s journey is surrounded by many unusual and entertaining back characters. One that clearly stands out as having the biggest impact to Moojie is his Grandpa. His eccentricities and his way of life make for an original character. Most favorably, Grandpa’s character continues to grow with Moojie in his life, with his own way of showing love for Moojie, his grandson.
* A plot that is set in the early 1900’s in Western America, the time period is well researched. With details from social etiquette, technology, entertainment and the view of outsiders, to name a few make the story feel realistic to the timeline.
* The journey that Moojie undertakes through his childhood is full of twists and unexpected changes that keep the story moving forward. Moojie continues to adapt and develop with an open heart to all the changes he faces, growing stronger with every twist. The plot is most inspirational, resonating far past the closing chapters.
“The Improbable Wonders of Moojie Littleman” by Robin Gregory is a must for all readers who enjoy a book that is powerfully original, creative and entertaining. I look forward to reading what the next part of Moojie’s journey entails and what adventures follow.
I reviewed this book voluntarily after receiving an advanced copy.The Improbable Wonders of Moojie Littleman
Arghh!
I flat could not finish this book. It was very tough to read. Spoiler Alert! It was tough to comprehend the bullying due to his differentness. When I got to the point when his mother, the only one who loved him, was killed in an accident, I lost it. When the accident was blamed on him and her spirit visited him, I had had enough. It might suit other readers, but it was not my cup of tea!