Judy Blume (1981)
Genre
Children's / Young Adult / Romance
Reading Time
240 min
Key Themes
See below
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Uprooted to New Mexico after her father's murder, a young girl struggles with grief, finding comfort and a path to healing through an enigmatic boy she meets in the canyons.
The story begins after Davey Wexler's father, Adam, is shot and killed during a robbery at his convenience store in Atlantic City. Davey, her younger sister Jody, and their mother Gwen are reeling from the tragedy. Gwen, overwhelmed by grief, becomes catatonic, spending her days in bed. Davey tries to be strong for her family, but she is tormented by the violence and loss. The family dynamic is shattered, and Davey feels immense pressure to keep things together while battling her own grief, anger, and fear. The comfort of their home is replaced by dread and emptiness.
To escape the painful memories of Atlantic City and provide a change of scenery for Gwen, the family moves to Los Alamos, New Mexico. They will stay with Gwen's sister, Aunt Bitsy, and Bitsy's husband, Uncle Frank. Davey is uneasy about leaving everything familiar behind, including her best friend Jane and her boyfriend Hugh. The move feels more like an exile than a fresh start. Upon arrival, the stark landscape and unfamiliar environment of Los Alamos add to Davey's feeling of alienation. The family tries to settle into their new lives, but the underlying grief remains.
Davey enrolls at Los Alamos High School, finding it hard to fit in. She is quiet, withdrawn, and still consumed by her father's death. She avoids making friends and feels like an outsider among the seemingly carefree students. Her grief causes anxiety, panic attacks, and isolation. She often retreats to the school's infirmary or skips classes, unable to concentrate. Her aunt and uncle try to be supportive, but Davey feels misunderstood and unable to express her pain. Jody, being younger, seems to adjust more easily, which further isolates Davey.
Seeking an escape from her aunt's house and school, Davey begins to explore the canyons around Los Alamos. She finds peace and anonymity in nature. During one of her walks, she meets a young man named Wolf. Wolf is a Native American boy who works at the local hospital and has a quiet understanding that immediately draws Davey in. He doesn't pry or offer empty words, but simply listens and shares her solitude, making her feel less alone than she has since her father's death. Their connection is immediate.
Davey and Wolf continue to meet in the canyons, and their bond deepens. Wolf introduces Davey to a hidden cave, a private sanctuary where they can talk freely. He shares stories of his own family and experiences, which helps Davey feel more comfortable opening up about her father's death and her struggles. Wolf's calm manner and insights contrast with the chaos in Davey's life. He encourages her to express her anger and sadness, assuring her that her feelings are valid. Their time together becomes an important outlet for Davey's grief, providing a safe space for her to slowly begin processing her trauma.
While Davey finds comfort with Wolf, her mother, Gwen, slowly begins to improve. With therapy and the change of environment, Gwen starts to engage more with her daughters and the world around her. She begins to cry, which, though painful, is a sign of her returning to emotional awareness. This small shift brings a fragile hope to the family, as they have longed for Gwen to heal. Davey, though still struggling, feels a slight easing of the immense burden she's been carrying, seeing her mother slowly re-enter their lives.
Davey's aunt, Bitsy, suggests Davey volunteer at the local hospital. Reluctantly, Davey agrees. While volunteering, she discovers that Wolf also works there, as a helper for terminally ill patients, especially the elderly. This adds another layer to Wolf's character, showing his compassion and maturity. More significantly, Davey learns that the Los Alamos hospital is where her father was taken after he was shot in Atlantic City, before he died. This connection is a shocking and painful realization for Davey, bringing her grief and the circumstances of her father's death into sharp focus in her new environment.
The discovery of her father's connection to the Los Alamos hospital forces Davey to confront the traumatic details of his death. She learns that a nurse who cared for her father in his final hours still works at the hospital. Davey approaches the nurse, who recounts the events surrounding her father's passing, emphasizing his bravery and the love he expressed for his family. This conversation is incredibly difficult for Davey, but it provides crucial details and a sense of closure she needed. She feels a mix of pain and gratitude for the nurse's honesty, finally understanding more about her father's last moments.
As the summer progresses, Wolf reveals that he will be leaving Los Alamos to attend college. His impending departure brings a new wave of sadness for Davey, as he has become her most important confidant and source of comfort. However, their final conversations solidify the lessons he has taught her about healing and moving forward. While losing Wolf's direct presence is hard, Davey realizes she has gained the inner strength and tools to cope on her own. She understands that Wolf's role was to help her find her own path, not to be a permanent crutch.
With Gwen significantly improved and Davey having processed much of her grief, the family decides to return to Atlantic City. The decision is bittersweet; while they have found healing in Los Alamos, their home and roots are back in New Jersey. Davey is no longer the same girl who arrived in New Mexico; she is stronger, more resilient, and has a clearer understanding of her grief and how to live with it. She knows that the pain will always be a part of her, but it no longer defines her. She is ready to face her old life with new eyes, carrying the lessons learned and the quiet strength gained from her experiences and from Wolf.
The Protagonist
Davey transforms from a withdrawn, traumatized girl into a resilient young woman who learns to process her grief and find inner strength, accepting that healing is a journey, not a destination.
The Supporting
Wolf acts as a catalyst for Davey's healing, guiding her towards self-discovery and emotional processing, and then departing, having fulfilled his role in her journey.
The Supporting
Gwen slowly recovers from a catatonic state of grief, gradually re-engaging with her family and her life, symbolizing the possibility of healing.
The Supporting
Jody's arc shows a younger child's more adaptable, though still painful, processing of trauma, serving as a contrast to Davey's deeper struggle.
The Supporting
Bitsy provides practical support and a safe haven, though her attempts to help sometimes miss the mark of Davey's emotional needs.
The Supporting
Uncle Frank offers quiet, consistent support and understanding, representing a stable, gentle force amidst the family's turmoil.
The Mentioned
Though deceased, Adam's memory and the trauma of his death drive Davey's internal journey of grief and healing.
The novel explores the many sides of grief after a sudden, violent loss. Davey experiences shock, anger, denial, and deep sadness, often leading to panic attacks and social withdrawal. Her mother's catatonic state further shows the impact of trauma. The book demonstrates that grief is not linear, but a complex, individual journey. For instance, Davey's inability to connect with old friends or her intense emotional reactions in Los Alamos highlight the isolating nature of her trauma, while her eventual ability to cry and speak about her father shows progress.
“Sometimes I felt like a zombie, just going through the motions. Nothing seemed real anymore.”
Despite the pain, the novel emphasizes healing and resilience. Davey's journey from a traumatized individual to someone who can acknowledge and live with her pain is central. Her time in Los Alamos, especially her connection with Wolf and her exploration of the canyons, gives her the space and tools to begin healing. Her mother, Gwen's, slow recovery also highlights this theme, showing that even deep grief can eventually lead to a gradual return to life. Davey's decision to return to Atlantic City, having found strength, symbolizes her resilience.
“You don't forget, Davey. You just learn to live with it.”
The novel highlights the important role of empathetic connections in healing. Wolf's ability to listen without judgment and provide a safe space for Davey to express her raw emotions is crucial to her recovery. Unlike others who try to 'fix' her, Wolf understands her. This connection helps Davey feel less alone and more understood. Even the nurse who cared for her father, by sharing details of his last moments, provides an important, empathetic connection that brings Davey peace and closure, showing how human connection can mend fractured spirits.
“He didn't try to make me feel better. He just let me feel what I was feeling.”
Davey's journey is also about self-discovery, forced by tragedy. Her father's death takes away her old identity and forces her to confront who she is without him and in the face of immense loss. The move to Los Alamos, a new environment, further challenges her to redefine herself. Through her solitude in the canyons, her relationship with Wolf, and her volunteer work, she begins to understand her own strength, her capacity for pain, and her ability to cope. By the end, she returns to Atlantic City with a renewed sense of self, shaped by her experiences and newfound resilience.
“I was still Davey, but a different Davey. A Davey who had seen things, felt things, and somehow, survived.”
The canyons represent a space for escape, introspection, and healing.
The canyons of Los Alamos serve as a powerful symbolic setting for Davey's emotional journey. Initially, they are a place of escape from her suffocating grief and family pressures. As she spends more time there, they become a sanctuary for introspection, allowing her to process her feelings in solitude. It is within the canyons that she meets Wolf and builds a crucial connection, transforming the landscape into a space of healing and self-discovery. The rugged, expansive nature of the canyons mirrors the vastness and wildness of her internal emotional landscape, offering both challenge and solace.
Represents Davey's hidden strength and fierce emotional intensity.
The phrase 'tiger eyes' is used to describe Davey's intense, watchful, and often frightened gaze, particularly when she is feeling vulnerable or angry. Wolf first uses the term, recognizing the underlying strength and emotional depth within her. This metaphor symbolizes Davey's hidden resilience and fierce spirit, which she slowly learns to tap into as she processes her grief. It suggests that beneath her quiet exterior lies a powerful, protective instinct, and a capacity for survival, much like a tiger. The 'tiger eyes' become a reminder of her inner power and her journey towards reclaiming it.
A stark, unfamiliar environment that facilitates isolation and new beginnings.
The setting of Los Alamos, New Mexico, serves as a crucial plot device. Its stark, unfamiliar landscape and scientific community contrast sharply with Davey's familiar Atlantic City life, emphasizing her sense of displacement and isolation. This new environment, away from painful memories and familiar faces, forces Davey to confront her grief without the usual distractions. It provides a clean slate, facilitating her self-discovery and allowing her to form new connections, like with Wolf, that are essential for her healing process. The isolation of the town mirrors Davey's internal isolation, but also offers the quiet space needed for introspection.
“I used to think that when people died, they went to a beautiful place where there was no more sadness or pain. But now I know that they just go away, and the people left behind are the ones who suffer.”
— Davey's internal thoughts after her father's death.
“It was impossible to feel normal. Normal was gone. Normal was dead, just like my father.”
— Davey reflecting on her life after the tragedy.
“When you're sad, you can't just stop being sad. You have to let yourself feel it. You have to go through it.”
— Aunt Bitsy offering advice to Davey.
“Maybe it's okay to not be okay. Maybe it's okay to be a mess for a while.”
— Davey's internal realization about her emotional state.
“I felt like I was wearing a mask, pretending to be someone I wasn't. And I didn't even know who I was anymore.”
— Davey struggling with her identity in a new environment.
“Sometimes, the only way to get through something is to go through it alone. Even when you're surrounded by people.”
— Davey's feeling of isolation despite her family's presence.
“He didn't try to fix me. He just listened. And that was exactly what I needed.”
— Davey's appreciation for Wolf's understanding and support.
“It was like he could see right through me, right into the parts I kept hidden from everyone else.”
— Davey's impression of Wolf's perceptive nature.
“The ocean always made me feel small, but in a good way. Like my problems weren't so big after all.”
— Davey finding solace and perspective by the sea.
“Sometimes you just have to do something, even if you're scared. Especially if you're scared.”
— Davey's internal encouragement to herself.
“I wasn't ready to let go of the sadness. It was the last piece of my father I had left.”
— Davey's struggle with moving on from her grief.
“It wasn't about forgetting. It was about remembering differently.”
— Davey's evolving understanding of how to cope with her loss.
“I finally understood that my father was gone, but he wasn't really gone. He was still a part of me.”
— Davey's ultimate realization about her father's enduring presence.
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Judith Blume is an American writer of children's, young adult, and adult fiction. Blume began writing in 1959 and has published more than 25 novels. Among her best-known works are Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (1970), Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (1972), Deenie (1973), and Blubber (1974). Blume's books have significantly contributed to children's and young adult literature. She was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2023.
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