The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street

The Vanderbeekers make their home in a historic Harlem neighborhood surrounded by over a century of New York history. Their brownstone rowhouse is not only an iconic piece of architecture, but the personified home symbolizes the personality of the large family and their relationship to their community. From the beginning of the story, the author anthropomorphizes the home, making it come alive on the page. The neighborhood descriptions paint a picture of the buildings:

Although all the brownstones on the narrow, tree-lined street were the same size, each one had its own personality. One brownstone was rotund—like a jolly, well-fed grandfather—with a curved façade and decorative curlicues above round, owlish windows (16).

Once the reader meets the Vanderbeeker family, the quirky brownstone feels like the ideal place for their boisterous, unique family to live. When the children learn that their family is in danger of losing their house, they band together to formulate a plan to win the heart of their stony-hearted landlord, so they don’t have to leave their home. Nestled in its walls, Mama creates delectable baked goods, Isa plays violin in her custom-made rehearsal studio, and Laney tumbles across the floor of the only home she’s ever known. The brownstone has become deeply intertwined in the fabric of their family, and the Vanderbeekers can’t imagine living anywhere else.