An earnest reimagining of an epic poem with a rich sense of history and place, framed in light romance.
In the mid-1700s, after British soldiers forcibly remove French settlers from their homes in eastern Canada, a young Acadian woman must overcome deportation, illness, and thousands of miles as she struggles to reunite with her true love.
Seventeen-year-old Evangeline Bellefontaine, daughter of Grand-Pré, Nova Scotia’s wealthiest farmer, is engaged to the love of her life, blacksmith’s son Gabriel Lajeunesse. But trouble is brewing: British ships have dropped anchor in the Gaspereau River, threatening the village with their cannons. Before the two can marry, British soldiers force the community members from their homes and onto ships bound for the Thirteen Colonies, and Gabriel and Evangeline are separated. Years pass, but even through smallpox, indentured servitude, marriage proposals, and missed connections, Evangeline remains loyal and determined to reunite with Gabriel. This adaptation of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s epic 1847 poem, “Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie,” offers readers a happier resolution than the original narrative, which sees the lovers reuniting just as Gabriel’s life slips away. Although Pelletier presents a somewhat idealized depiction of the Acadian diaspora, she nonetheless offers well-researched historical insights. Despite the many years and many miles Evangeline travels, the story avoids getting bogged down by excessive details (or Longfellow’s melodrama). Smiley’s sepia-toned spot art and occasional full-page color illustrations help readers visualize the setting and reinforce the love story.
An earnest reimagining of an epic poem with a rich sense of history and place, framed in light romance. (author’s note, map, historical note, notes on Longfellow, bibliography) (Historical fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: April 7, 2026
ISBN: 9781684750610
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Down East Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2026
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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