All the Greys on Greene Street

All the Greys on Greene Street
Laura Tucker
Viking, June, 2019 307 pages
Grades 4-7
Realistic Fiction/Historical Fiction

Olympia, Ollie, gives her first person account of a childhood spent in a former industrial neighborhood of Manhattan in the 1980's, better known as Soho, now a thriving artistic community. Ollie's Dad has moved to France with a new woman, leaving her behind in their loft apartment with a mother who cannot and will not get out of bed. She spends time with Dad's former business partner/art restorer, Apollo, who reveals that Dad has taken an important piece of art with him to France without the owner's permission and cannot return to the US. A mystery develops concerning the piece of art and Dad's relationship to it. Meanwhile, Mom's condition worsens and Ollie must decide whether or not to seek help from a trusted adult. She finds solace in her art and relationships with neighborhood friends. Finally, Mom's condition is discovered and Ollie is taken to an island off the coast of New York, while Apollo gets Mom the help she so greatly needs. Upon return from New York, everything explodes in a dramatic way. Ollie comes to terms with her mother's depression, as she discovers her father's true involvement in the transported piece of art.

Former ghost writer, Tucker, finally makes her own middle grade debut in a book reflective of her own childhood in New York City in the 1980's. It is only gently historical fiction, as many of the issues addressed will be understood by children today. The time period is reflected by the absence of technology and the grittiness of the city during this time, particularly in the So-Ho neighborhood, which is now much changed and swanky. Although it was hard to read Ollie's story as an adult as she lives independently, covering for her mentally ill mother, readers who also have a parent suffering from depression will find much to relate to and will be inspired by the help, once it is received. An author's note in the back of the volume directs readers to services and offers some help for those who can relate. At first the book reminded me of Under the Egg, which is one of my favorite books, because of the New York setting and art related mystery, yet the mystery in this book is slight and does not have the historical richness of the first story. Artistic readers will appreciate that Ollie finds healing through drawing, especially as she begins to explore the use of watercolors in her work. Pencil illustrations by Kelly Murphy offer some visual of Ollie's work and provide a glimpse into what is in her sketchpad. It took me a while to get through this book and it felt a little slow at times. The atmosphere of the novel is dark, reflective of the setting, yet comes alive as Ollie explores the brightness of the island. Problem-novel lovers will appreciate this story, as will budding artists. The first person narration will also draw readers in and make them feel as if they are living in 1980's So-Ho, as seen through the eyes of a child in a very adult world.