Typewriters have a strict code of conduct: no communicating with humans. However, when Olivetti the typewriter sees a way he can get home and find his missing former owner, he decides for the first time ever to be the one to start the conversation.
Typewriters have a strict code of conduct: no communicating with humans. However, when Olivetti the typewriter sees a way he can get home and find his missing former owner, he decides for the first time ever to be the one to start the conversation.
Ernest spends his days buried in dictionaries, often reading on the roof of his family’s apartment building. He’s a bit of a loner, unlike his three siblings. His mom, Beatrice, is the person he counts on most. But one day, the unthinkable happens: Beatrice is gone.
The police conclude that she left by her own choice. This leaves Ernest and his family asking why and looking for any clues they can find. And that step leads them to a nearby pawnshop where the family discovers Beatrice sold her beloved typewriter on her way out of town.
Olivetti the typewriter can’t believe that Beatrice would sell him after all they’d been through together. So when Ernest comes to the shop alone, desperate for any clues the police might have missed, Olivetti makes a decision. Typewriters aren’t supposed to communicate with people, but he decides to do so with Ernest anyway. Olivetti might not know where Beatrice is, but he has one advantage the others don’t: all of the memories and thoughts Beatrice has ever typed on him.
Ernest and Olivetti have a long way to go to find Beatrice, and they have many obstacles in front of them. However, as Ernest faces each new challenge, he slowly realizes he isn’t as alone as he thought.
None.
As you’ve likely gathered, in this storytelling world, typewriters are sentient beings.
Ernest’s dad works all the time and is constantly distracted. His mom tries to help him work through his feelings and takes him to see a therapist. Ernest’s mom leaves without explanation or a way to contact her. Another young person’s parents are divorced.
Ernest steals Olivetti twice.
Adalyn calls Ezra various names, including “meathead,” “dimwitted,” “barely-brained oaf” and “ignoramus.”
Ezra slams his head into a shelf and later trips and hits his head on the concrete.
[Spoiler Warning] Ernest’s mom had cancer before. When he spots her on a high rock, Ernest is worried she might jump or slip and fall.
A young woman says “womanly business” in reference to her period. Thiago kisses Mrs. Vivien on both cheeks in greeting.
What do you do when you feel alone? Do you think this response is a good one? Why or why not?
Ernest felt like his family didn’t understand him. Do you think your family understands you? If not, how do you think you could help them connect with you better?
Ernest and his family went through a hard time when his mom was sick. Read Psalm 23. Why do Christians hold on to hope even when life is hard?
While Olivetti is a book about hardship, it also demonstrates the need for community and the difference a strong, united family makes in the face of difficulty. Though the plot often feels emotionally weighty, the resolution of this mystery is filled with hope.
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Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not necessarily their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book’s review does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.
Rachel Pfeiffer serves as Editor of Focus on the Family Clubhouse magazine, where she acquires and crafts stories to entertain and disciple children. She graduated from Taylor University with a degree in professional writing and Moody Theological Seminary with an MA in Biblical Studies. When she’s not curled up with a good book, she can often be found hiking the beautiful Colorado Rockies.
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