In spite of the fact that Bone Gap by Laura Rubi has such themes as the parallel universes, animals that can understand people better than people themselves and many other equally frightening and fascinating things, this novel is not just for entertainment. This wonderful example of magic realism reveals importance of mutual trust.
The protagonist of the novel, Finn, is a strange boy; at least this is what the people of Bone Gap say about him. They call him Moonface or Spaceman, joking about his dreamy look and an inability to look people in the eyes. Finn suffers from face blindness and this is a main reason of his “strange” behavior. He also suffers from a feeling of guilt, for he is not a child anymore and understands that Sean has to give up a lot of things for Finn. When he fails to save Roza, he feels as if he lets his brother down. He becomes obsessed with an idea of saving Roza. It is his way to show Sean that he loves him too, that he is not weak and doesn’t need Sean to give up on everything for him. It is possible to say that the whole novel is about insecurity. Petey, Finn’s girlfriend, can’t believe that his feelings for her might be genuine, for he is attractive and she is not. Neither she nor the people of Bone Gap can take it seriously. This lack of trust offends Finn, for he does everything possible to show Petey how serious he is about her, how strong his feelings are. As soon as he considers the whole situation from Petey’s perspective and she tries her best to believe him, they understand each other. This is an important lesson the readers of the novel might find helpful. Making assumptions is a dangerous habit.
Sean’s fear of trust has many reasons. Even being a little boy, he knew that his mother was like a fairy that couldn’t be imposed her with his problems, achievements and even his presence. Little Finn with his dreamy eyes was a lot was a lot like their mother and also needed Sean’s support and protection. The main feature of Sean’s characters is readiness to self-sacrifice. He can give up on his dreams, forget about his own needs and pretend that everything is alright, but it is a destructive type of behavior. His quarrel with Finn is a perfect example of it. Sean has been suppressing his own needs for such a long period of time that his bitterness, disappointment and pent-up anger take over him and he says words he doesn’t mean. Fortunately for him, Roza can make a decision for both of them and she decides that they both deserve happiness. The scene in which Sean cries in Roza’ arms is a symbolic one, for Sean is like Sisyphus, responsibility he takes on is like a heavy stone. Roza becomes his support, his source of strength and even inspiration.
This novel teaches that there is always a way out even of the most terrible situations, that trust is important in any relationship, that magic can exist beside us.
