In this haunting, eloquent story, the barriers between inner and outer vision dissolve as a young immigrant loses the men she holds dear during the Civil War. Working as a barmaid at The Shinny, making lace by the yard in her spare time, and living in Swampoodle, a Washington, D.C. slum, Mairhe (pronounced ``Moira'') is filled with waking and sleeping dreams of her carefree, laughing brother Mike, who enlists without thinking of the effect it would have on her or their brokenhearted Da. Mairhe's days and dreams are also filled with the muddy, soldier-filled, brawling city itself: its gossip, love of contention, and sights both grand and ghastly. In between glimpses of Lincoln and repeated encounters with a slightly larger-than-life Walt Whitman, readers will get a strong sense of the febrile energy that animated (and still animates) the nation's capital, as well as a grounding in some enduring racial and political issues. Armstrong (Black-Eyed Susan, 1995, etc.) mixes vision and reality with breathtaking virtuosity—in one brilliant episode a St. Patrick's Day celebration at The Shinny is seamlessly intercut with a bloody battle being fought simultaneously miles away—salting Mairhe's narrative with poetic turns of phrase, snatches of song, story, and history. The Irish characters here are despised and displaced—having left one home behind, they have yet to find another. After Mike dies at Gettysburg, Mairhe sells her lace to buy Da passage back to Ireland, and discovers herself at last: ``bright as a star, delicate as lace, strong as a dream.'' So is her story. (Fiction. 11+)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-679-88152-2
Page Count: 119
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1996
This swashbuckling tale anchored by historical details is a treasure.
A saucy, feminist take on “The Little Mermaid.”
This clever mashup includes actual 18th-century women pirates Mary Read and Anne Bonny, not to mention Blackbeard’s son, Tobias, legendary pirate Calico Jack, and a whole host of captains (Ahab! Crunch! Hook!). Woebegone mermaid Mary falls in love with a boy she rescues and becomes human to be with him. Alas, he turns out to be a narcissistic blowhard. After Mary jumps overboard, she’s rescued by pirates and pretends to be a boy in order to join their crew, which includes Tobias. Later, she runs into Calico Jack, her cousin who’s also Above, or in our world. He’s searching for his human father when he meets and is smitten with pugnacious Anne Bonny. At the AARP conference—the Admirable Association of Retired Pirates, that is—Mary, Jack, Anne, and Tobias learn that there’s to be a contest to determine the next Pirate King; whoever brings back the most treasure wins. Tobias knows where Blackbeard’s treasure is hidden. Meanwhile, Mary’s overbearing father, the Sea King, agrees to a bargain—either she becomes Pirate King or he takes her back home to Underwhere. This delightful farce contains seamless twists and gripping action, as well as some somber nods to harsh gender and racial inequalities. Tongue-in-cheek references, accessible writing, and dialogue that readers will connect with all create an immersive reading experience. The leads are white; Tobias is brown-skinned.
This swashbuckling tale anchored by historical details is a treasure. (authors' note) (Historical fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 20, 2024
ISBN: 9780062930101
Page Count: 448
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024
A well-researched and deeply moving portrait of an iconic moment in U.S. history.
A free-verse treatment of the killing of four college students during campus protests over the Vietnam War.
College campuses were often flashpoints in the struggle against the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War. In May 1970, protestors at Kent State University in Ohio were met by the Ohio National Guard, culminating in the deaths of four unarmed college students and injuries to nine others. The university and the small town surrounding it were all affected by the escalating tensions and disagreement over how to handle the issues. The governor’s strict approach was welcomed by some but resisted by many on campus. Each of the deceased students is described in detail, including how they came to be in the line of fire. Readers hear from a guardsman and a town resident as well as students, their voices showing how perspectives differed depending on individuals’ roles. Especially compelling are the words of Black students, many of whom stayed away from the demonstration, believing, correctly, that the guardsmen had live ammunition. The structure serves to re-create the taut atmosphere of the days leading up to the tragedy, and various perspectives are represented by different fonts and typeface, furthering the sense of polarization. The extensive author’s note extends the narrative, engaging readers in the author’s process and the story’s impact.
A well-researched and deeply moving portrait of an iconic moment in U.S. history. (Verse novel. 12-18)Pub Date: April 21, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-338-35628-1
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
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