A Death at the White Camellia Orphanage    by Marly Youmans Order:  USA  Can Mercer University Press, 2012 (2012) Hardcover, e-Book      Reviewed by Barbara Lingens With beautifully poetic language Marly Youmans has written a story both simple and complex. Pip, ten years old, has lost his brother Otto, and until he can reconcile himself to that loss he is unable to find himself. The problem is, Pip is an orphan, completely alone in the world, with an unusual way of apprehending the world around him. This story follows Pip through the years as he leaves the South to ride the rails in search of something, he knows not what. Along the way he meets people trying to make a living through the Depression, some who are kindly disposed to a strange boy and some who are not. We are always inside Pip's thoughts as he tries to make sense out of the events of his life. Moments of rare beauty as well as those of deep sorrow keep reminding him of his brother and that certain something he is missing. The author's unusual descriptions provide a rare look at what a sensitive young person who has been traumatized might see and feel. They are opaque and luminous all at the same time, not always easy to follow, but there is no question of their beauty. Marley Youmans' work has received the Ferrol Sams Award for Fiction from the Mercer University Press: 'an exceptional work of fiction that speaks to the human condition in a Southern context.' Highly recommended. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Historical books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews