Needlework

Gr 8 Up–Growing up in rural Kentucky in a mostly white, Christian community and with little to no access to the internet, Kody lives a very insular life with his grandmother, Nanny. Life is tough for many in his hometown as job prospects dry up and the opioid epidemic claims a whole generation of parents. Following a serious car accident years ago, Kody’s mother became addicted to oxycontin, leaving Kody and Nanny to pick up her pieces again and again. Nevertheless, Kody gets by with a solid routine of church, quilting, and The Golden Girls. He also takes comfort from the words and music of classic country stars, especially Dolly Parton. However, no one in his family knows that Kody feels the most free during “Dolly Dress-Up Hour,” when he dons feminine clothes and performs Dolly songs in his bedroom. When a Facebook message arrives from an unexpected source, Kody’s worldview begins to open up, and he glimpses a life where he could freely be his most authentic self, but he is also forced to confront uncomfortable truths about his family and community. Watts’s engaging book addresses timely topics like addiction, homophobia, and racism, but her gentle, heartwarming prose makes this book a comfort read. Kody’s sweetly honest narration makes it impossible not to cheer for him.