Bud, Not Buddy (1999) by Christopher Paul Curtis

🔵 Bud Caldwell was named Bud by her mother, and before she died, she thought him to not let anyone call him Buddy. From this only, I could imagine that Bud was brought up finely by his single parent, despite of being poor. But where was Bud's father? We could only guess from Bud's point of view, of which this story was written, that he had left his wife and son on the lurch - a fact that his mother was often angry of.

🔵 Another stuff that his mother left Bud before she died was some posters of a band, her portrait, and some pebbles with dates scribbled on it. All these, and a blanket, were all of Bud's treasured belongings, put inside a worn suitcase, which he always carries with him wherever he goes.

🔵 Bud had stayed in an orphanage, then in a foster home, where he was showered by injustices, that he had had enough. Her mother also taught him that 'when one door is closed, another will open'. Bud didn't understand at first about this closing and opening of doors - he's just a ten years old boy anyway. But now that he's thirteen he began to understand. It's like when he had had enough being bullied at the foster home, that he ran away. That was closing of one door, and sure enough another door was immediately opened.

🔵 One more thing that Bud began to realize, is that the man playing saxophone in the band posters, was definitely his father - though he couldn't understand why her mother was always angry when she saw those posters (but we knew, of course). And now Bud is sure that he must find his estranged father. Can he? Is his father still a musician? And if - big if - Bud could find him, the bigger question is, would he accept Bud as his son?

🔵 I loved this book. Its strongest attraction is Bud's personality, which was built finely with love and dignity by his late mother. He's an intelligent, optimistic and funny lad, and quite self-sufficient too - no doubt due to his mother's undivided love and trust. What a simple, tender, and satisfying read it has been, set in Michigan in the 1930s during Great Depression.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐