Weeks, Sarah. 2004. So B. It: a novel. New York: Laura Geringer Books.
Heidi It knows little about herself or her family at the beginning of Sarah Weeks’ novel So B. It. Heidi narrates the story herself, and the plot of the novel revolves around the important discoveries that she makes about her life at the age of twelve. As the story is told in first-person narrative, the book’s main character, Heidi, can be examined from three perspectives – what she says about herself, what others say about her, and what her actions say about her character.
The story begins with Heidi explaining her logic about truth. “The truth is, whether you know something or not doesn’t change what was” (Weeks 4). Heidi begins to describe her life, which is unique and mysterious, even to herself. She lives with her mother in a tiny apartment in Reno, NV, and is, for the most part, cared for by their next-door neighbor, Bernadette. Heidi explains to the reader that her mother is mentally disabled and cannot work, read, or write. Heidi also describes Bernadette’s character in detail, but within the young girl’s descriptions, she also inserts telling descriptions of herself. For instance, Bernie –as Heidi calls her – is often amazed at Heidi’s streak of luck, and doesn’t disapprove of sending Heidi to gamble. Heidi says, “One place my luck came in very handy was at the Sudsy Duds Laundromat on the corner” (Weeks 16). Most of the people who meet and know Heidi try to pinpoint how or why she is lucky, but Heidi states that she believes her luck began when Bernie began to take care of her and her mother.
Another way in which Heidi describes herself is when she tells the reader about her relationship with the older neighbor kid, Zander. Heidi says that she knows that Zander lies when he tells Heidi long-winded stories. She says, “I was no dummy – I knew Zander was lying like a rug, but I didn’t want him to stop. I was fascinated by his fibbing” (Weeks 29). Later in the novel, after Heidi spins a false tale about her life to a lady on a bus, Heidi makes a list of things she knows about lying. Heidi is introspective, and she understands her own quest to understand herself. She wants to know what compels people to lie, and more specifically, what compels her to lie. Heidi reasons that people lie when the truth is too hard to admit, and throughout most of the book she emphasizes the importance of always telling the truth. However, in the few lies that Heidi does tell other people, she is able to realize the motivation for her lies and attempt to understand the truth for herself.
Bernadette is the character who says the most about Heidi, because Bernie has helped raise her from birth. Bernie often makes comments about Heidi’s streak of luck, and her incessantly curious nature. When Heidi begins to ask questions about her history, Bernie insists that Heidi shouldn’t worry about what she doesn’t know, and instead be grateful for what she does know. However, Heidi – and the reader – get the sense that Bernie herself doesn’t have the answers, which is why she tries to discourage Heidi from seeking them. During a pivotal scene in the novel, Heidi defies Bernie by stating that she is definitely going to New York by herself to seek answers about her history. Bernie responds by saying, “We both know I can’t stop you, don’t we Heidi-Ho?” (Weeks 91). Bernadette understands that Heidi is head-strong, stubborn, and resolved to satisfy her curiosity. In addition, the reader gains a sense of how independent Heidi is as a result of her lack of foundation in a typical family.
Heidi’s actions throughout the novel are probably the most indicative of her character, which seems to be the intentional design of the author, Sarah Weeks. The book focuses on the concept of truth, and through Heidi, the reader discovers that truth is intangible. Truth is not necessarily visible in the words people say, but we get closer to seeing it in the things people do. In the novel, Heidi feels compelled to discover the truth about where she came from, and to what family she belongs. She knew she could earn money for a bus ticket by playing slots, so she acquired the ticket, lied and then admitted her plans to Bernie, and set off on her journey. After arriving at her destination, Heidi wavers in fear of being lost, broke, and she wonders if she made a mistake in pursuing the truth. “Nothing’s happened. I’m here, Bernie. I’m in Liberty. But it’s not how I thought it would be. It’s all different” (Weeks 148). It’s easy to relate to Heidi at that moment, because many other people have felt the burden of trying to make a decision or whether or not to keep going on a path. She chooses to keep pursuing her goal as planned, and her stall only lasts for a few minutes. From this, the reader can begin to trust Heidi and know that the secrets will be revealed as soon as Heidi discovers them. When she does eventually get to find out the facts about her family, the reader can feel some of Heidi’s emotions dealing with maturity. “It was as if the world suddenly had the volume turned down.” In the context of that chapter, the reader can feel the weight of truth and sorrow in Heidi, and from there, the hope that happiness can once again be found.