The Big Shuffle

Often, in narratives which focus on the lives of young women in their teens or early twenties, there is an inclination among novelists and short story writers to make the female adolescent journey into life either so uncomplicated and therefore inconsequential that the conspicuous absence of a dark cloud causes us to pause in disbelief, or so downright menancing--as in the brilliant but pessimistic short studies about teen aged girls written by Joyce Carol Oates--that the journey is so riddled with darkness and dispair that the central character is often blinded, then devoured by it. Laura Pedersen's world, like ours, is at different times, painful and exhilarating. It is made gloomy by moments of profound loss--as on the occasion of a loved one's death; but promising even then, when it offers the central character in THE BIG SHUFFLE, Hallie Palmer, a means of coping with her grief while helping her mother and younger brothers and sisters to deal with theirs. There is something both delightfully innocent and wholesome about Hallie Palmer and those qualities remain intact even when she brazenly reveals to the reader the exact numerical makeup of her hand during a game of Strip Poker, or when she casually describes the "faint but distinctive aroma of marijuana" in a room where fun-seeking college kids gather as a refuge from their more serious studies. What is noteworthy, I believe, is that Hallie can never be defined by her involvement in card playing or her physical closeness to kids who sometimes choose to drift off aimlessly in a cloud of pot. They remain trifles in the exciting life of a young and admirable young lady, whow is infinetly more substantial as an impressive and attractive heroic figure on a mission to bring life back to a mother whose grief has thrown her into a seemingly everlasting state of intense mourning and helpless siblings who must recover from the devastating and riddlesome loss of a beloved father. During Hallie's journey, she becomes aware of the matters of life which are often taken for granted or simply denied. One recalls that at first, when she learns about her father's serious heart attack, her response is a combination of childish anger and denial:"Huh? My dad--heart attack--impossible!" she convinces herself; "He's young and strong and not even forty!" But later, toward the end of the novel she is able to observe that her mother suddenly begins to look older, perhaps even a bit wizened. In only a few months, then, she begins to take on the sometimes grim but important knowledge involving the physical realities of youth and old age, life and oncoming death; and she generously shares her newfound wisdom with the reader in a most delightfully forthright manner. And so, in this wonderful new Laura Petersen story, Hallie Palmer, with the help of some friends, particularly her dear theatrical mentor and adored buddy, Bernard, manges to turn a deep personal sorrow into a kind of celebratoin of discovery and existence

From the very first page I fell in love with this wonderful novel. It's chock full of humor, warmth, and family drama, with a subtle message about caring and the bonds of friendship carefully woven into the struggles of living and dying. The main character, a young woman suddenly called home from college to care for her family in an emergency, is well-drawn and realistic, but she's not always the main event, thus widening the appeal of the novel to all ages. Hallie often serves as ballast for the more memorable characters to swirl around her, including a local antiques dealer, his socially aware mother, their minister, the colorful sailor man Uncle Lenny, and a cadre of town poker players. The twists and turns are familiar, but that's what makes the action so interesting and appealing, especially when everyone has a different view on how to resolve problems and attempt to move forward. The author does a terrific job of interweaving these additional personalities along with their relationships so the main plotlines never become boring. THE BIG SHUFFLE is never boring, even when the narrator is vacuuming Cheerios out of the rug or contemplating the provenance of candy corn at Halloween time. Pedersen's standup comedy background sneaks in at all the right moments, and yet she also gets the heartbreak and confusion following the death of a loved one pitch perfect. Hallie Palmer might just be our Laura Ingalls Wilder for the 21st century.

Imagine you're in college, at a frat party, when you hear your father has had a heart attack. Moreover, your mother is unresponsive and has been hospitalized. And, oh yeah, you have seven younger brothers and sisters living at home. 19-year-old Hallie Palmer faces just this situation one late fall evening, and she decides there's no choice but to head home and hold up the fort. It isn't easy. There's hardly any money in the checking account. Three of the children are still in diapers, two of them infant twins she can't tell apart. Her younger sister, Louise, wants no part in the homemaking and child-raising and absconds to Boston with a boyfriend at the age of 15. Her 12-year-old brother, Teddy, also causes problems by leaving school to hang out with mom at the mental institution. Fortunately, Hallie isn't as alone as she feels. Her friends Gil and Bernard are there to help with food, help, and, eventually, a job. The pharmacist stops by to help with paperwork. The city snow removal guy digs out the driveway for free. When Hallie crashes and burns with a case of mono, Pastor Costello moves in and takes care of all the children and the house until Hallie can get better. While the community is there to help, Hallie's old friends are scared off by her new life. Even her boyfriend, Craig, doesn't understand her reaction to his dropping out of college and takes up with another, more accommodating girl. Laura Pedersen's "The Big Shuffle" is a warm-hearted, entertaining novel, with love and community at its core. It's populated with a variety of eccentric characters--like Uncle Lenny, a sailor who arrives for Hallie's father's funeral and stays for awhile entertaining the kids with gruesome tales of the sea--and is often quite funny. Take, for example, this passage in which Hallie describes arriving at the school to discuss, she thinks, Louise's delinquency: "Though communism collapsed some time ago, the high school is ready to serve as the Kremlin West should bolshevism rise again. The dark cinder-block building manages to block out the sun and cast a shadow over anyone who dares to enter its steel-framed doors. The inmates all share the same sentence--four years with no time off for good behavior and no chance of probation." (p. 140) Pedersen's style is relaxed here, the plot not dominant. Instead we are treated to entertaining circumstances, wacky children and characters, and a strong, compelling narrator in Hallie. "The Big Shuffle" is a sequel to "Beginner's Luck" and "Heart's Desire." And while there are references to Hallie's early cardshark life, it reads well as a stand-alone novel. (I should know--I haven't read Laura Pedersen's work before.) "The Big Shuffle" has some light sexuality and is best suited for children ages 14 and up.

Hallie Palmer is one gutsy gal but not because she wants to be! During a raucous college party one evening, she sees her buddy Bernard approaching her through the hazy drunken figures. Twenty-four hours later, she is trying to cope with the fact of her father's death, her mother's inability to cope with his death, and the screaming, squalling noise of eight younger siblings. It seems she's the only one who's got enough head on her shoulders to take charge, and that's exactly what she does. No, I haven't given away the whole plot - that's just the outline! But how she moves through these days will make you roar with laughter, hold your breath with shock, and cheer with a tear in your eye now and then as Hallie rises to the challenges which she never in a million years could have envisioned handling just so short a time ago. Bernard continues to thrill readers with his dramatic quotes and singing! Although Hallie's sister and brother are grossly incompetent, they still provide a very funny background! And Mom's got quite a few surprises up her sleeve yet, so don't go counting her out yet - Hallie's about to get a whopper of a lesson about how life's choices really go that perhaps is not quite what one thought "should" happen. Laura Pedersen's writing is definitely maturing delightfully and gracefully! The back of the novel states, "...beginner's luck can't last forever..." Oh, yes it can and it has vastly improved with Laura Pedersen's crafting of "The Big Shuffle." Reviewed by Viviane Crystal on January 12, 2007

The third book in the Hallie Palmer series is as laugh-out-loud funny and deliciously charming as the first two. However, Hallie is a year or so older and the circumstances of her life take a serious turn, which challenge her every fiber. This is a wonderful installment after BEGINNER'S LUCK, which was about Hallie deciding what to do with her life, and HEART'S DESIRE, where she was confronted with the complexities of relationships, and now, she must deal with a situation not of her own making, which is the progression life takes for most of us. So I enjoyed being with all the old gang -- Olivia and her liberal slant on life, Bernard's bon mots and ingenious ways of assisting (we should all have a Bernard in a crisis), and Gil, "the normal one." Then there is of course Rocky, the formerly alcoholic chimpanzee, who is now working as a nanny. When I look back at the story, it's just a wonder how Pedersen finds so much humor and meaning in a considerable amount of sadness. But that's the wonderful thing about this book, it makes you feel that everything is going to be okay! (My favorite scene is Hallie and Bernard meeting in the front hall coat closet directly following the funeral. Absolutely brilliant!) Teenagers will certainly love Hallie, who has gone from 15 to 19, but there's plenty for adults in the writing, references, jokes, and activities of the mature characters. I recommended THE BIG SHUFFLE for my book group, which is aged 23 - 81, and it was a big success, made even better because we'd organized a chat with the author through her website. She's hilarious!