Mockingbird by Sean Stewart
"Mockingbird" is a narrative that explores themes of magic, family legacy, and personal struggle through the experiences of Toni, a young woman grappling with her inherited supernatural abilities. The story revolves around the enchanting yet burdensome gifts passed down from Toni's mother, Elena, who had the power of magic. Toni's sister, Candy, has inherited a more beneficial aspect of this magic, allowing her to glimpse the future, while Toni is haunted by the darker elements manifesting through various spirits known as the Riders.
These Riders include characters like the flirty Sugar, the controlling Widow, the calculating Mr. Copper, and the humorous yet cruel Pierrot, each capable of taking over Toni’s body at any moment. As Toni faces personal challenges, such as job loss and impending motherhood, she struggles against the overshadowing influence of her family's supernatural legacy. The arrival of the Little Lost Girl, a spirit without a physical representation, adds an extra layer of mystery to the family dynamics.
Throughout the story, the interplay between magic and reality complicates Toni's life and relationships. While the Riders often create chaos, they also provide unexpected assistance, illustrating the dual nature of their influence. As Toni navigates her tumultuous circumstances, including her sister's upcoming marriage and her own financial fears, she learns to find strength within the complexities of her familial ties and the magical heritage she possesses. The tale offers a rich exploration of identity, power, and the impact of the past on the present.
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Subject Terms
Mockingbird
First published: 1998
Type of work: Novel
Time of work: Contemporary
Locale: Houston, Texas
The Story
On Elena Beauchamp’s tombstone is carved the legend “There are some gifts which cannot be refused.” Elena had the gift of magic, and passed on part of it to her daughter Candy, who can see certain aspects of the future. But her other daughter, Antoinette, who is determined to be as unlike her mother as possible, nevertheless receives the darker part of her mother’s magic. In a cabinet in the family living room are dolls representing spirits called Riders: the Mockingbird, the Widow, Pierrot, Mr. Copper, Sugar, and the Preacher. A sixth spirit, the Little Lost Girl, inhabits the house but has no doll of her own; she figures prominently in all of the stories told about the other Riders.
Each Rider has particular qualities. Sugar is flirty and loving, the Mockingbird assimilates different personalities, the Preacher is grim and bitter, Pierrot is a funny but cruel clown, Mr. Copper never loses at games, and the Widow rules the family with an iron fist. Any one of them can take over Toni’s body without warning, completely suppressing her personality and absolutely controlling what she does. She hates this legacy from her mother, but can do nothing about it, and when she loses her job soon after becoming pregnant, Toni is in deep trouble both financially and emotionally. In addition, her sister is getting married, she has put a curse on her former boss without actually meaning to, an old family friend has recently died, and her mother’s other daughter that she never knew about is coming to Houston for a visit. The cold spirit of the Widow is taking her over.
Candy’s boyfriend Carlos knows something about magic too, and he takes Toni out one night to intercede with the Riders on her behalf. On a Houston street, they nearly hit a young girl, who, it becomes clear, is the Little Lost Girl.
The Riders make things worse at times, as when the Widow terrifies Candy by demanding that she marry Carlos or when Sugar spends hundreds of dollars on clothes—but then occasionally the Riders help, too. Toni is an actuary, with a sharp eye for figures and a basic understanding of markets, but when she is contemplating day-trading for a living, she is too frightened to risk her savings on the kinds of trades she will need to make it work. But Mr. Copper takes her over one morning and in his calculating way makes her several thousand dollars, getting her started. Soon after, Candy and Carlos agree to marry, and even the approach of a hurricane and Toni’s labor cannot prevent things from coming out right.