Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos. Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011.
Jack’s parents are furious with him but not for the same reason. His mother is distraught over the destruction of her vegetable garden (he was told to mow it down by his dad). His father is irate over Jack’s mishandling of a forbidden antique rifle. The result for Jack is that he is “grounded for life” by his parents.
A neighbor’s arthritic hands incapacitate her so Jack’s mother decides he should help out. He doesn’t want to do it- Miss Volker writes obituaries for the old-time residents and she is more than a little strange. Jack’s other big problem is with his nose. His nose doesn’t just bleed- it gushes. Stress and lying have immediate and messy results. Surgery could help, but his family can’t afford the cost and no one seems willing to barter anymore.
Obituary writing is surprisingly time consuming. Jack and Miss Volker establish a good routine for their work and Jack finds it fascinating. However, the townspeople become increasingly concerned as one death follows another. Miss Volker is one of several suspects.
Between applying hot wax to Miss Volker’s hands (helps her arthritis) and her surgery on his nose, Jack has to deal with a vindictive policeman and he’s still stuck in the middle of his parents’ feud. He’s beginning to lose hope for having a normal summer but at some point, he’s begun to enjoy himself. Now if he can stop anyone else from dying…
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