Review: Cinnamon Girl by Trish MacEnulty

Today, I'm thrilled to welcome back author Trish MacEnulty, with her wonderful coming-of-age tale, Cinnamon Girl. It's a gripping adventure that draws you in. I read it in one go. Don't miss it!

Cinnamon Girl is currently on blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club. Find other fascinating posts here!

 

Cinnamon Girl

by Trish MacEnulty

I didn't really know what to expect from this novel. Usually not a great fan of YA fiction, nonetheless, the blurb had caught my attention, and as a child of the 1970s (though a few years after the protagonist, Eli), I thought the book would bring back some memories.

 

And boy, was I in for a surprise! Cinnamon Girl had me hooked from the beginning. 

I started reading the novel one evening around 9.30pm – and I didn't stop until I finished the book at 2am! 

Without a shadow of a doubt, Cinnamon Girl will feature in my top reads this year. Engaging, intelligent, fast-paced, and full of realistic adventure, I found myself totally mesmerised by Eli's story.

We first meet Eli when she lives with her step-grandmother, English-born opera singer, Mattie. Knowing her career in the limelight of New York, London and Milan was threatened by age and competition, Mattie had created her own opera bubble in Augusta, Georgia. There, she was in charge of a small theatre, and it was in this exciting, vibrant world that Eli grew up. 

Ever since Eli could remember, Mattie had employed Miz Johnny, of similar age to her, to look after her house, welfare, and Eli. Throughout her time there, Eli always thought that Miz Johnny had it good – in a relatively well-paid (compared to others in her position) employment, treated with respect. But it is only later, during her journey, that Eli realises what she'd taken for granted throughout her childhood was at the expense of their kind, black housekeeper's lack of opportunity for a better job.

When Mattie dies of cancer, Eli's father, Billy, comes to take her to his home he shared with his 2nd wife and two little boys. About her mother, Eli only knows that the young woman – an alcoholic – had left when Eli was a toddler, and that Mattie had taken the girl in.

But Eli doesn't want to go with the father she barely knows. She'd much rather elope with Wolfgang, the elder brother of her best friend, Gretchen, from a German American family. Wolfgang is on his way to Canada, to avoid being drafted into the army and shipped to Vietnam. So off they go early one morning, to New York, where he'd made contact to an organisation that, amongst other anti-government 'communist' actions, helped young men avoid having to go to war.

In the big city, she's confronted by a number of challenges set for her: to shoplift and to beg, when the place they were staying was raided and they lost all their belongings. This opens her eyes to another world entirely.

Then Wolfgang disappears, and Eli has to change her plan, fast. She goes to stay with Billy and his family after all, and for a while enjoys being a normal teenager – going to school, attending rock concerts at the weekend, and eventually she finds a boyfriend. But trouble is never far away, as Eli's learning curve continues to weave its way through her young life.

 

Cinnamon Girl is a captivating story of a young girl growing up in late 1960s / early 1970s America. Ripped from the safety of Mattie's home, she soon learns the hard way about all the social and racial injustice that permeates society. And even amongst the peace-loving hippies and underground revolutionaries, who proclaim to be in favour of same rights for everyone, she finds that sexism, racism, and prejudice are rife.

On her journey, Eli slowly turns from an innocent, naïve teenager into a young woman who has gained an understanding of the politics of the era (though is everything always as clear-cut as some make it out to be?), including race riots, arrests, and demonstrations that end in the killing by police of innocent bystanders. She learns about the dangers of travelling as a lone female and finding support from unexpected quarters.

There is an unexpected, clever twist near the end which sets Eli's path in a different direction than she'd anticipated. And then, at last, she has arrived.

Cinnamon Girl is a brilliantly immersive, fast-paced novel full of adventure, revolutions, learning, and inner growth. The author doesn't shy away from showing the dark side of the era, with its political hardline on Vietnam, the smouldering race issues that erupt into open riots, and the communist underground movement aiding draft-dodgers and trying to beat the capitalist system. Ms MacEnulty's research and knowledge of the era is impeccable, and you gain a real sense of 'being there', of experiencing this time of major change and upheaval through Eli's eyes – the eyes of a teenage girl on the cusp of growing up. Through all this, the novel provides readers with a fascinating reading experience that sends you back in time.

As I said, I was reading through the night to keep up with Eli and her adventures. She meets a bunch of fascinating people, some of whom are not to be trusted (which I guessed), and her journey is one of learning and discovery, and we, the readers, are with her every step of the way.

A highly recommended read – one I've now added to my list of favourite books!

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Blurb:

Winner of the Gold Medal in YA Fiction from The Historical Fiction Company!

When her beloved step-grandmother, a semi-retired opera singer, dies of cancer in 1970, 15-year-old Eli Burnes runs away with a draft-dodger, thinking she's on the road to adventure and romance. What she finds instead is a world of underground Weathermen, Black Power revolutionaries, snitches and shoot-first police.

Eventually Eli is rescued by her father, who turns out both more responsible and more revolutionary than she'd imagined. But when he gets in trouble with the law, she finds herself on the road again, searching for the allies who will help her learn how to save herself.

 

Buy Link: Universal Buy Link

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About the Author:

Trish MacEnulty

Trish MacEnulty is the author of a historical novel series, literary novels, memoirs, a short story collection, children’s plays, and most recently, the historical coming-of-age novel, Cinnamon Girl (Livingston Press, Sept. 2023). She has a Ph.D. in English from the Florida State University and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Florida.

Trish currently writes book reviews and features for the Historical Novel Society. She lives in Florida with her husband Joe and her two tubby critters, Franco and Tumbleweed. More info at her website: trishmacenulty.com.

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