Dear Mr. Henshaw

Boyd Henshaw is a children’s author whose book Ways to Amuse a Dog becomes protagonist Leigh Botts’s favorite book. Leigh begins writing letters to Mr. Henshaw when he is in second grade and the two continue their correspondence until Leigh is in sixth grade. Since the novel is written exclusively from Leigh’s perspective and Beverly Cleary doesn’t include Mr. Henshaw’s responses, Mr. Henshaw’s character is filtered through Leigh’s perspective. In Leigh’s early letters to Mr. Henshaw, he boldly asks for autographs and answers to personal questions that he can use for a school project. It appears that Mr. Henshaw is not interested in sharing his personal information but is still kind enough to encourage a young reader. Leigh appreciates the author’s direct, forthright way of responding to him and is thankful that any adult, especially one that he admires, has taken the time to notice him. The tone of the correspondence changes when Mr. Henshaw turns the tables and asks Leigh a series of personal questions. His motives are unclear, but the exercise teaches Leigh a lesson about the importance of introspection and knowing oneself when searching for meaning in life.

The correspondence with Mr. Henshaw also helps Leigh discover his voice. The author offers Leigh writing tips that appear simplistic, but when Leigh tries them, he finds success. Leigh says, “I should follow the tips in your letter. I should read, look, listen, think, and write” (13). When Mr. Henshaw encourages Leigh to begin a diary, it could be because the author hopes the persistent fan will stop sending him letters. No matter his reasons, the advice changes Leigh’s life. Leigh begins writing in his journal every day and it becomes a place for him to process his pain. When he is writing, Leigh feels less alone, and whether Mr. Henshaw knows it or not, in teaching Leigh to share his feelings on paper he throws a wounded kid a life preserver amid a storm. Though at times their relationship feels painfully one-sided, Leigh maturely accepts the situation, saying, “Don’t worry. I get the message. You don’t have a lot of time for answering letters” (34). However, Leigh’s adoration of Mr. Henshaw never wavers, and even Mrs. Badger confirms that he is a kind man. The mysterious Mr. Henshaw serves as an example of the powerful influence adults can have on a child’s life and a reminder that it only takes one person and one act of kindness to impact someone forever. Mr. Henshaw never gives Leigh an autographed bookmark or an advanced copy of his newest novel, but he does give a lonely kid hope that through art he can find meaning in life and he can rely on himself when everyone else in life fails him.

Bonnie Botts is Leigh’s mother. After she divorces Leigh’s father, she becomes Leigh’s primary caregiver and breadwinner for the family. Leigh’s letters to Mr. Henshaw reveal that Bonnie is a single mom who works for a catering company by day and on weekends. In her free time, she takes nursing classes at the community college in hopes of having a better career one day. In the early days after the divorce, Leigh places a lot of pressure on his mother to explain why his parents split up, and her responses exude the exhaustion and frustration of a woman carrying too much. Leigh’s father is often late with child support payments, and Bonnie’s paycheck barely covers their rent. She hardly has the means and energy to provide for Leigh’s basic care much less attend to his emotional needs.

Bonnie is tough on Leigh, encouraging him to work hard and help around the house. She refuses to have the television repaired until he finishes the questionnaire assigned by Mr. Henshaw. Whether a subversive plot to avoid paying for repairs with money they don’t have or out of a legitimate concern for her son’s work ethic, Bonnie’s persistence holds Leigh to high expectations. Leigh explains in a letter to Mr. Henshaw, “She says I can’t go through life expecting everyone to do everything for me” (13). Gradually, Leigh’s frustration with his mother turns to worry as he realizes the weight she carries. The more Leigh sees his father’s carelessness, the more he understands his mother’s need for independence. After Leigh phones his father and sees and hears the truth of his father’s abandonment, he shares his pain with his mother and she in turn shares with Leigh why she couldn’t remain married to Bill.

Bonnie’s life represents the disappointment of a young marriage, and the tremendous burden single moms bear as they are saddled with the compounding responsibilities of earning an income while still caring for their children. Other than Katy, her benevolent boss, Bonnie has no external support. In the end, when Bill returns begging for reconciliation, Bonnie emphatically rejects his pleas. However, Leigh paints a sad image of her in the final scene as he sees her emotional and physical exhaustion morph into disassociation: “When I went inside, Mom was sipping her coffee and sort of staring into space” (133). Leigh’s story ends with hope on his side as he makes a new friend and finds the confidence in himself to push forward, but Bonnie’s fate hasn’t changed, and through her character, the author paints a realistic picture of the struggle to survive as a single parent.

Bill Botts is Leigh’s father, and though he isn’t a villain, he does become an antagonistic force as the young boy tries to understand why his father doesn’t want to be a part of his life. Bill and Bonnie met and married when they were, and Bonnie adopted Bill’s love of adventure and spontaneity. However, when Bonnie became pregnant with Leigh, her priorities changed, and she desired a more settled predictable life for her and her child. The marriage survived, but then Bill purchased his truck, sending the family into financial ruin. Bonnie explains Bill’s obsession to Leigh: “He couldn’t get owning his rig for cross-country hauling out of his head. He worked practically night and day and save a down payment” (16). Through his mother, Leigh comes to understand that his father loves trucking and traveling more than his family.

Once his parents separate, his father largely drops out of the narrative, as Leigh rarely sees him, and their relationship diminishes to a few sporadic phone calls. Instead, Bill enters the narrative through Leigh’s memories, particularly of when Bill would bring him along on trips. Leigh recognizes his father’s lack of financial support, but he can’t reconcile the physical and emotional abandonment and he longs for just one day with his father. Bill, as an absentee father, becomes a profound source of emotional pain for young Leigh and he cycles through anger, frustration, and even self-doubt as he tries to make sense of his father’s negligence. Bonnie does her part to help Leigh understand Bill, insisting that he is just immature, not morally corrupt. In the end, when Leigh finally gets his wish and his father shows up on the doorstep, the reunion is painfully awkward and there is little to say between them. The end of the story offers no resolution for Leigh and his father’s broken relationship, only the stark reality that there is a difference between a father and a dad and Bill Botts is more comfortable being “Wild Bill from Bakersfield” than being emotionally and physically present for his son (66). In a strange reversal of caregiving, Leigh worries that his father will be lonely and sends Bandit back out on the road with Bill. The act displays Leigh’s emotional maturity and his understanding that Bill can’t be the father he needs or desires.