Waiting to Waltz by Cynthia Rylant

This collection of poems by Cynthia Rylant reveal her childhood experiences in Beaver, West Virginia. Prior to reading this book, I was curious as to whether or not this book would resemble the reminiscent nature of Rylant's famous book When I Was Young in the Mountains. After reading Waiting to Waltz, I did notice similarities between the two books but I felt that When I Was Young in the Mountains provided us with much more positive memories of Rylant's childhood. I believe that Waiting to Waltz is a more personal and candid account of Rylant's past. While there were some positive memories included in the collection, the majority of the poems spoke to the tragedies and disappointments Rylant experienced growing up.

One of the poems that saddened me was Little Short Legs. Rylant confesses that as a child, she didn't know that an "adult could make such a mistake" in response to her mother accidentally running over a neighborhood dog. Another tragic poem titled "The Brain Surgeon" describes one of the many "drunks" who sat near Beaver Creek. Rylant came to find out that one particular man was an out of town brain surgeon who lost his wife in a local hotel. Because of this loss, he decided to never leave Beaver. While Rylant's poems commentated on the people of Beaver, she also included poems about her own personal experiences. In her poem Spelling Bee, Rylant communicates the anticipation and nervousness she felt as a young girl competing in a local spelling bee. Rylant unveils the moment when she lost the competition. I felt her disappointment as I read this poem.

The drawings provided by Stephen Gammel enhance the tone of the story. The sketches are simple, yet revealing, much like the town in which Rylant grew up. Gammel's depictions of people throughout the illustrations convey their body language and posture to deepen our understanding of their emotions. However, facial features are not often revealed. The black and white illustrations gave me the impression that Beaver is a quiet town that often has overcast/cloudy weather. The homes and buildings look as if they were built during the late 1800's or early 1900's and I was able to connect these images to the small town that my mother grew up in within the Virginia Piedmont region. These illustrations provided a powerful image of this remote, rural town.

Rylant's collections provide evidence of her ability to eloquently capture the feelings, sentiments, and conditions of her surroundings. She is obviously very observant and astute in regards to the human condition. She made me feel as though I more deeply understood the essence of her hometown.