If I Asked You, Would You Stay? by Eve Bunting
"If I Asked You, Would You Stay?" by Eve Bunting is a poignant young adult novel that explores the complex emotional landscape of adolescents faced with challenging personal circumstances. Set against the backdrop of California, the story follows a seventeen-year-old boy named Crow, who has been shuffled between foster homes and desires a life of independence away from familial ties. He lives in secret above an old carousel, seeking solace in his solitude until he encounters Valentine, a young girl in distress.
Valentine's arrival disrupts Crow's careful isolation, as she is determined to stay despite his initial reluctance. Through their interactions, the narrative delves into themes of vulnerability, connection, and the struggle for emotional stability amidst troubled pasts. Bunting's storytelling effectively highlights the universal quest for identity and belonging, making the characters' experiences relatable to young readers. The novel emphasizes that, while each person's struggles may feel unique, they share common threads in the human experience. Through rich character development, Bunting invites readers to engage with profound social issues, making her work both impactful and relevant.
If I Asked You, Would You Stay? by Eve Bunting
First published: 1984
Subjects: Coming-of-age, emotions, family, friendship, and social issues
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Social realism
Time of work: The 1980’s
Recommended Ages: 13-15
Locale: California
Principal Characters:
Crow , an adolescent who leaves his amicable foster home to live a relatively uncomplicated life until he rescues Valentine from the raging oceanValentine , a young girl who sees her life as having no options
Form and Content
If I Asked You, Would You Stay? is a simple book dealing with complicated issues. It gently confronts the issue of adolescents who are forced, by the circumstances in their lives, to live without the security of a strong, supportive family as they grapple with emotional growth and evolving relationships. This story, although set in California with characters who have left their homes, deals with issues that all adolescents confront as they forge their own lives and identities. The desire to break free of the constraints imposed by adults and declare independence carries heavy burdens, which Eve Bunting expertly and covertly depicts.
The story in this direct and captivating novel is elegantly simple in its presentation while dealing with intricate issues. Charles Robert O’Neill—known as Crow—is a gentle seventeen-year-old who has spent all of his life shunted from one foster home to another. Crow leaves the home of kindly Mrs. Simon and his foster brother Danny. He wants to live unencumbered, without attachments to anyone. He chooses to live a private existence, letting no one know where he lives. He works, fends for himself, lets his foster mother know that he is well, and survives relatively well in a secret room above an old carousel on a pier. This secret place belongs to Sasha, a character whom the reader knows of only through Crow and his thoughts. He wants to save money so that he, like his namesake, will always be free. Crow’s life is indeed uncomplicated. He goes to work and lives a peaceful, secretive existence.
Crow’s tranquillity is shaken when he looks out his window and sees someone struggling in the ocean. He races out into the cold ocean, drags the swimmer onto a dinghy, and carries the swimmer to his room. Once there, Crow learns that the person he rescued is a young, desperate girl named Valentine, who wants to end her life. Valentine is neither pretty nor nice. Her entrance into his solitary, secretive world turns both of their lives upside down.
Crow, valuing his privacy, looks forward to Valentine’s departure, but she is determined to stay for two or three days. Although he is annoyed that she is there, her promise to leave in a few days pleases Crow, who values his solitude and freedom from entanglements with others. He goes off to work and realizes that his life savings, his independence money, which he kept hidden in his room, could easily be found by Valentine. He rushes home and finds his money still there, but the loss of his private space still troubles him. Crow continually thinks of Sasha, whose room he is sharing. Although Sasha is not physically there, her presence is felt; Crow is careful about protecting her property and her rights. In his thoughts, he thanks Sasha for allowing him to share her space, while silently confirming that Valentine will be gone soon.
During the course of the novel, the layers of their troubled existences are unfolded as Crow and Valentine slowly learn each other’s secrets. Crow’s relationship to Sasha, as well as to his foster brother, unfolds. Crow often thinks of Sasha, a beautiful, serene, and secure woman, and also of Danny, his young and confused foster brother. Valentine’s fears revolve around both her family and a person named Marty. In the few short days that they are together, Crow slowly learns of the reasons for Valentine’s desperation.
Critical Context
Through realistic fiction, readers can identify with characters, try on different roles and identities, and live in a vicarious world. This world may include adventures and experiences that readers ponder but never actually experience. This important genre allows readers to see that their lives and problems are not unique. Through books, young people can become responsible decision makers. Through her rich characterizations and a smooth writing style, Eve Bunting has the power to transport readers into another person’s thought and feelings.
Through her young adult novels and picture books, Bunting relentlessly confronts social issues. Keen understanding and compassion permeate her more than 150 books. Whether dealing with deep subjects such as the death of a friend in The Empty Window (1980), urban violence in Smoky Night (1994), and the Holocaust in Terrible Things (1980), or with lighter adventures, such as quests and ghost stories, Eve Bunting is the consummate storyteller. Her books will endure and leave a profound mark on society and the literary world.