Mister Orange Review

Matti, Truss. Mister Orange.Enchanted Lion Books, New York. [159 p]. [$16.95]. 9781592701230

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"Winning the war," said Mr. Orange, "means making sure that the imagination remains free. And that's the most important thing of all." (pg 123).

Translated by Laura Watkinson, this novel by Dutch author Truus Matti tells the story of Linus, a young boy in New York City during Word War II. When his brother Albie goes off to war, Linus takes over the delivery route for the family grocery store. One of his deliveries is to Mr. Orange - a nickname Linus gives the man after not understanding his real name, and because he has a box of oranges delivered every two weeks. Mr. Orange is an artist, and teaches Linus about art, and dancing, and life - questioning the meaning art and imagination can seriously have when something as hard as war rages on. As Linus ponders this questions, along with ones such as the reason that smells do not have names, he learns that life does not always turn out the way he wants it to. Being a fan of comics, he soon discovers that not all can be saved by a superhero, and as much as he would like it to be true, his brother is not a superhero just because he went off to war. A quick, yet insightful read, Mister Orange, is a sweet coming of age tale.