Keeper (Appelt novel)
| Company type | Novel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Founder | Kathi Appelt |
| Products | Children's fantasy novel |
Keeper is a novel published in 2010 by Kathi Appelt, centered on a young girl's journey to locate her mother, Meggie Marie, who has been missing.
Summary
Following a series of mishaps that spoil a blue moon day—including spoiling her guardian’s crab gumbo, breaking a treasured wooden bowl, and harming a neighbor’s plants—Keeper decides to make things right. With seven wooden mermaid dolls, her dog BD, and a keepsake from her childhood, she embarks on an adventure to find her mother, Meggie Marie, who vanished seven years prior. Throughout her quest, Keeper learns that her mother was not actually a mermaid but discovers a unique kind of magic within herself.
Characters
- Keeper: The ten-year-old main character raised by her guardian Signe after the disappearance of her mother. Often called "Sweet Pea," "Good’un," and "Mergirl," Keeper is said to have been born in the water.
- Signe: Keeper’s twenty-five-year-old guardian originally from Iowa who took care of Keeper following Meggie Marie’s absence. She possesses a broken wooden bowl passed down from her deceased mother.
- Dogie: Keeper’s neighbor and companion who owns a surf shop named "The Bus." A former soldier from New Jersey, Dogie stutters except when playing the ukulele and harbors romantic feelings for Signe.
- Mr. Henri Beauchamp: An elderly neighbor knowledgeable about mermaid legends, residing in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. He owns Sinbad, a one-eyed cat.
- BD: The dog belonging to Keeper and Signe who joins Keeper on her expedition.
- Too: A small dog owned by Dogie, known as a Storm Prognosticator due to its ability to sense impending trouble.
- Jacques de Mer/Jack: A merman figure associated with Mr. Beauchamp and possibly the offspring of Yemaya.
- Sinbad: Mr. Beauchamp’s aged one-eyed cat with a pirate heritage.
- Captain: A seagull rescued by Signe who has become friends with BD.
- Meggie Marie: Keeper’s mother who disappeared seven years ago; initially thought to be a mermaid but later found not to be.
External links
- Keeper at goodreads.com
- Keeper at fantasticfiction.com
- Official website of Kathi Appelt