Verse Novel

DIAMOND WILLOW

Photo Retrieved from Amazon.com

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Frost, Helen. Diamond Willow.  New York, NY: Frances Foster Books, 2008. ISBN 9780374317768

CRITICAL ANALYSIS AND REVIEW

Diamond Willow is young adult novel written in verse by Helen Frost.  It is the story of a young  Native American Alaskan girl who finds her truth during an unexpected  adventure to her grandparents house.  It is told in first person perspective, by the main character, Diamond.  The story is fast and the plot is so enjoyable that  this novel can easily be read within a couple of hours or less.  The rhythm is very gentle, and flows very nicely throughout the book.  It brings emotion, excitement, love, and refrain all at once.  From  stepping out alone for the first time, the anguish of unintentionally  hurting someone you love, and the discovery of a long kept secret, Diamond Willow is a novel many will continue to ponder once they have finished reading it.

The poetic verse of the book is very easy to read through and enhances the story line. Within each diamond shaped verse, words are printed in bold that can be read as a simple sentence within the verse.  It is an additional quality that makes this novel so enjoyable for the reader.  As a middle school aged girl, Diamond experiences many of the young teenager feelings and emotions that are common to this age group.  Young adults will easily connect to Diamond, as she speaks from an honest and real perspective.  

As the plot is very quick, Frost uses imagery throughout the book and which provides a movie-like quality to the novel.  Vivid descriptions of scenery are created for the reader, and emotions so touching a tear may find itself falling onto the pages of this book.  Animal and human emotions take on a new meaning at the completion of this book, and the undeniable relationships that exist between the two species

Helen Frost provides an amazing twist on poetic verse in Diamond Willow.  A reader will naturally want to learn more about Alaskan culture and customs, even about Helen Frost, herself.  An appreciation for the Alaskan way of life will surely be gained.  She may even inspire a young writer to try their hand at shape poetry or simply inspire them to read more novels written in verse.  

Frost arranges each page of verse in changing diamond shapes.  Some are long and thin, while others are rounder.  The theme of the diamond willow tree is maintained by this feature, and later in the book the reader will discover a touching surprise regarding the diamond willow.  The cover of the book is an illustration of the young girl and her malamute dog facing each other, and one of the poem structures seems to provide a similar depiction of the cover illustration.  The diamond shaped verse is occasionally broken by the narration from the ancestors, but these breaks provide a chapter like break while reading.  Frost includes a simple heading for these narrations that explain who the narrator is.  She also includes an author’s note at the beginning which gives background information on the diamond willow tree and the geographical region where the story takes place.

HIGHLIGHT POEM

From pg. 19 in Diamond Willow:

All

my life,

this has been

my favorite place.

Grandma’s beadwork

on the table, Grandpa’s furs

stretched out to dry, the smell of

wood smoke mingling with the smell

of moose meat frying on the stove.

As soon as I walk in, I see that

Grandma’s made a batch of

doughnuts.  It’s how she

tells me, without

saying much,

she’s happy

the I’m

here.

Prior to reading this poem, the teacher can discuss favorite places and what that means to himself or herself. She or he can discuss their childhood and where and how they grew up. Then, he or she can read this part of the novel with the class and give students an opportunity to share out loud or on paper their favorite place as a young child. Who were the special people besides their parents who were in their lives? What are the vivid memories of the smells, feels, and and tastes of that favorite place? Allow students to have a show and tell of some of the items from their childhood and allow them to share these with the class.