That title, that cover? How can you not be intrigued?
This is a strange and melancholy sort of book, but also unique and very memorable.
Helene is a lonely little girl who has recently run afoul of the queen bees at her school. The book implies that Helene used to be part of their group, but now she spends her days fielding their cruel little insults about her weight. Any person with two good eyes will quickly see the disconnect between their taunts and Helene's actual size. But none of that matters because Helene believes it to be true to her very core simply because they say it is so.
Helene's loneliness has caused her to retreat into the world of books - specifically Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (with two little dots over the 'e', Helene points out). Helene finds a somewhat kindred spirit in Jane - someone, in her mind, equally lonely, misunderstood and put upon. And that's really all I should say because the rest is best left discovered by the reader.
The illustrations are breathtaking. Anyone who is or was a lonely little girl will be deeply moved. Highly recommended!
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