Book Review: Ella Minnow Pea

It might seem odd to review a successful novel that was published in 2002, but I enjoyed reading Mark Dunn's Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters too much not to share it with you.  I had never heard of the book until a professor assigned it in one of my English classes.  As much as I like English, sometimes reading for class turns into making it through a book rather than enjoying a book but with Ella Minnow Pea this was not the case at all.  I couldn't put it down once I started it.

The plot focuses around a small community on a fictional island off the coast of North Carolina.  This community has a strong culture of exceptional writing and expression.  Through a series of events, the freedom of expression is taken away from the community.  The main character Ella is a girl who works to regain this freedom.  Not only did the plot draw me in, but the author's style made the book even more enjoyable to read.  The story is told through letters and as each restriction is added to the characters' world, the mode of communication becomes increasingly more creative.

This book has the perfect combination of intriguing plot, writing style, and thought-provoking theme.  A book can be good if it has two of these three things, but Dunn's book is exceptional to me because it has all three.  If you haven't read Ella Minnow Pea yet, this is a read I would advise to anyone who loves books.