Can You Whistle, Johanna?

In the novella "Can You Whistle, Johanna?" one boy accidentally boasted to another about how wonderful it is when you have a grandfather. The other boy did not have a grandfather, but it was no trouble for the boys to find one in a nursing home. Interestingly, the novella does not say a word about parents, but probably not by accident, because children in Stark’s books (and perhaps in life too?) are very independent. The boys manage to delight their newly found grandfather with an invented birthday party (with presents, of course), but then leave him alone for a long time—with the best of intentions: the newly minted grandson is learning the favorite song of his late wife. Unfortunately, the learning drags on, and the premiere takes place only at “grandpa’s” funeral. But this story is as sad as it is cheerful—like life itself—and the absence of a happy ending feels entirely natural