Waiting for Normal

Waiting for Normal (2008), a young adult novel by American writer Leslie Connor, follows the trials and tribulations of eleven-year-old Addison “Addie” Schmeeter, who is left in the care of her erratic and possibly bipolar mother. The novel won the 2009 Schneider Book Award.

The novel begins as Addie and her mother, whom she calls “Mommers,” move into a run-down trailer in Schenectady, New York. Mommers has become increasingly erratic in recent years, divorcing Addie’s stepfather, Dwight, and failing to keep up with payments on the family home. While Addie tries to make the best of the cramped and unhygienic trailer, Addie’s half-sisters, Brynna and Katie, are living with Dwight in a new house.

Addie befriends the owners of the nearby minimart, Soula and Elliot. Overweight, Soula seems to need to spend a lot of time sitting down. Soula lives in an adjacent building, called “The Greenhouse” because it has many windows. She and Elliot welcome Addie to the neighborhood, making her feel at home.



Dwight visits often with Addie’s sisters, but on one visit he explains that he has been hired for a job in the next town and won’t be able to visit as frequently in the future. Addie is upset but accepts the new state of affairs. She auditions for the school orchestra. A talented flute player, she struggles to read music, due to dyslexia. She is also nervous because her flute belongs to her old school; she fears someone will accuse her of stealing it. Addie defends a girl called Helena from bullies, and they become friends.

Mommers is entering a more erratic phase, regularly forgetting to cook and even disappearing without explanation.

Dwight visits and gives Addie a hamster, which she names Piccolo. He takes Addie and her sisters for dinner. The restaurant’s owner is named Rick. The next day, Addie discovers that Rick is Elliot’s boyfriend.



Addie brings Piccolo to show Soula, but the shop is empty. She goes into the Greenhouse to find Soula vomiting. Elliot explains that she is undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer.

As Addie arrives home, Mommers is leaving. Mommers claims she has a job interview, even though it is late in the evening. Addie is nervous. She remembers a time Mommers abandoned her and her sister for three days.

Mommers returns later that night, but there is still cause for concern. She has given her whole alimony check to a man called Pete who is her boss in a risky-sounding venture. Mommers starts to spend their limited funds on new business clothes. When Addie is accepted into the school orchestra, Mommers takes her for a celebratory dinner and pays on a credit card.



On Halloween, Mommers stops Addie from trick-or-treating, telling her that she is too old, before leaving on an overnight trip with Pete. Addie goes over to the minimart, where Elliot and Soula dress her up in Soula’s clothes.

Dwight calls. They have moved house, and Dwight has a new girlfriend, Hannah. He’s excited for Addie to meet her, but it won’t be until Thanksgiving—and even then, only if Mommers agrees.

Mommers does not return all weekend, and when she does, she is in a new car. She won’t tell Addie where she has been. When Soula questions Addie about her home life, Addie keeps all this a secret. She believes that she caused the break-up of her family by reporting to Dwight that Mommers had left Addie and her sisters alone.



Addie meets Hannah at Thanksgiving. She owns an inn, which Dwight is renovating. They are planning to run it as a B&B. Addie likes Hannah and feels happy as part of this stable family unit. She overhears Hannah and Dwight discuss the possibility of adopting her, but she knows that it is unlikely to happen.

On the Monday after returning to the trailer, Addie gets her first period. Her friend Helena keeps her calm. Addie is awarded the solo in the school orchestra’s Christmas concert.

Mommers buys Addie a dress to wear at the concert. Addie feels that it is too revealing, but Mommers insists she is old enough for it. Dwight arrives and agrees that the dress is too revealing, but Mommers puts her foot down.



Rehearsals for the concert go well, but Addie is nervous about the dress. She promises Helena that she will play, but on the day, Mommers doesn’t arrive home in time to drive her to school. Dwight picks her up just in time, but as she arrives, she sees the music teacher from her old school in the audience. She panics, thinking her teacher will recognize the “stolen” flute. She refuses to play.

Feeling guilty, Addie walks through the snow to her old school to return the flute. On the way back, her grandfather, “Grandio,” spots her. He buys her lunch and brings her home.

Soula and Elliot give Addie thoughtful Christmas presents, but Mommers gives her a nasty surprise: she is pregnant with Pete’s baby. Mommers leaves to spend the holiday with Pete. Addie takes the bus to Dwight’s. There, she admits to Dwight that she is worried about Mommers. She finds it hard to adjust to the normality of life at Dwight’s, knowing that she will have to go back to the chaos of her own life.



Mommers is around less and less. Dwight’s truck breaks down, so he can’t visit either. Addie fends for herself, with the help of Soula and Eliott.

A month later, Dwight finally visits. He has brought Addie a bank card, so she can draw on his account. He invites her to visit again, but Addie refuses; it is too hard to readjust to life with Mommers afterward. Dwight understands her decision.

Soula is fading fast. Addie spends a lot of time with her, making her “toast dinners.”



One day Addie comes home to find Mommers making a huge quantity of tacos. Addie asks her if this is her way of preparing for another long absence; Mommers doesn’t bother to deny it. Addie cleans the filthy kitchen, but Mommers promises to do the dishes. In the morning, Addie finds the dishes undone. At the end of her patience, Addie resolves not to clean up after her mother and leaves the pan on the burner.

A week later, Addie turns on the burner to make cocoa. When she gets out of the shower, she finds the dirty pan on fire. The fire extinguisher is spent, so she flees the trailer with Piccolo. Soula, having seen the fire, hurries Addie away from the trailer.

Soula calls social services, who arrange for Addie to live with Grandio. Addie leaves Piccolo with Soula.



A few days later, Addie goes to collect Piccolo and finds that Soula has died. Elliot gives her a farewell letter, containing $300 towards a new flute.

Mommers is not allowed to see Addie, but she forces her way into Grandio’s house and begs Addie to join the new family she is making with Pete. Addie says she doesn’t believe Mommers will ever be normal. After she leaves, Grandio speaks insultingly about her, but Addie is upset and stops him. The social worker arranges for Addie to live with Dwight, and Mommers agrees to this. Addie moves to the inn with Dwight and his family.

Waiting for Normal explores the power of resilience in the face of family neglect and poverty. The novel was deemed “first-rate” by Kirkus Reviews.