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‘Because I am Furniture’ is the kind of book that makes you want to seek out the author and tell them how happy they’ve made you by writing this story. I might pop over to Thalia Chaltas’ blog later to tell her. This book was good enough to inspire virtual action.
‘Because I am Furniture’ is a young adult novel written in verse, consisting of distinct sections that are separated by decorative curlicues. Each section also forms part of a growing master narrative. The majority of these sections could work successfully as separate poems, each filled with its own spirit and message.
The novel’s main character Anke, lives with an abusive father who frequently beats and molests her brother and sister, but rarely even notices Anke. The book joins Anke as she moves from middle school to high school (I think that’s right, I’m not American so sometimes I get confused by the school system) and secretly joins the volleyball team. Her father tells her that competition encourages bad character traits in women and tries to get her to quit, but Anke continues to play with the team she loves. Ultimately this small act of defiance does exactly what her father feared it would, it empowers her and helps her to forge an identity for herself, giving her the courage to stand up to him.
There is so much to love about this novel, like its physical appearance. The cover features a striking white silhouette over the top of a grey photograph of a dated, family room, which creates a striking contrast, emphasised by the skinny red font of the title and the same red colour of the hardback binding. The jacket is made from heavy, textured paper and the silhouette is pushed into the paper, leaving a raised edge around it. Somehow the cover manages to project a cosy, comforting image, through the rounded font and the wavy hair of the female silhouette, but it is also a strong, modern design. The white silhouette also evokes ideas of ghosts, beings without a strong physical presence, which resonates with the way Anke feels about herself in her own home.
The message of empowerment through sport, strength and friendship that runs throughout the book is really positive and strong. Anke joins the volleyball team and learns to shout for the ball, finding a place outside her home where her voice counts. Volleyball also gives her friends and a connection with other members of her team. She gains physical strength and her place on the volleyball team makes the guys at her school interested in her. Every poem that talks about volleyball is filled with energy and excitement:
‘…I reek with possibility.
Volleyball.
We won’t find out the results for a few days,
but right now,
bouncing through the neon blast of sunset,
I reek…’
which contrasts vividly with the atmosphere at home, where every enjoyment must be suppressed in case it angers her father:
‘Aha!
I scoop cones into my sweatshirt pouch,
a bowlful the perfect centrepiece
for mom’s fall stew.
As I step inside, cradling
-surprise-
my father’s home early.
He throws a glance at my loot,
says to mom,
“Tell her to take that crap back outside
where it belongs.”’
Anke spends lots of time outdoors and the novel is full of natural imagery. Anke’s interest in hiking and sports is what attracts Kyler, her eventual love interest. This theme of imagery adds extra energy and freshness to the novel, emphasising the positive power of exercise and the draw of natural beauty.
Thalia Chaltas explains the psychology of being the ignored child in a house controlled by an abusive father. She shows the abusive side of the man but she remembers to explain why his victims remain, because they still remember the times when he was nice and because they naturally crave the love of a parent. Through snippets of memory Anke explains why initially she still wants to love her father, because although every day brings the possibility that he will fly into a rage it is equally possible he will say or do something nice. As Anke hears her mother’s memories she enables the audience to understand the similarities between her and her mother, another mostly unharmed witness of the abuse. This allows the audience to find a small amount of compassion for a woman who allows her children to be abused, something only a skilful writer could accomplish.
Despite the serious subject matter the tone of Anke’s voice, when she is away from home, reminded me of books like ‘Snail Mail’, co-written by Ann Martin and Paula Danziger, which is about ordinary teenagers with ordinary lives that sometimes collide with disturbing events. Anke sounded like an ordinary teenager, as did her friend Rona whose dad is an alcoholic. The girls are both interested in the world outside their homes and determined to make a success of their lives. They wonder whether boys like them and chat about school like the other teenagers around them. This makes them role models for teenagers living in difficult domestic situations, as well as characters all teenagers can relate to and like.
So it’s all love, love, love for ‘Because I am Furniture’, which is a well written book, with a positive message that anyone can just fly through.
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