about figgs & phantoms

Ellen Raskin is most widely known for her Newberry Medal winning book The Westing Game, but she had already published and illustrated many books before that book was published in 1978. However, The Westing Game is a masterpiece and a great read. But due to that huge success, so many of her other books were overlooked.

One such book is Figgs & Phantoms, published in 1974, and the subject of this fanlisting. This book is about the Figg family who live in the town of Pineapple. They are a curious lot, and a subject of tall tales and gossip of the town.

The main character is Mona Lisa Figg, who is born into a family of former show business performers and must bear the negative talk about them floating about the town. She doesn't like her family. The only person in her family she likes is her Uncle Flo. She is very close to him. And when he dies, she is very sad and decides to go to Capri to find him.

This book is amazing. At first glance it's the basic story of a girl who deosn't like her family. But dig a little deeper, and there are so many life lessons happening here. This book deals with death, life, journeys, finding your way, and becomeing who you're meant to become. This book is an excellent read. One you will never forget.