In 1884 Vermont, two sisters confront their natures—one the workhorse of the family, one the delicate invalid—in a historical novel from Haas (Clean House, 1996, etc.). When Sue Gorham was 13, her sister Clare, 12, caught a fever, seizing their mother's attention. Sue was left with the backbreaking work of maintaining a farm household; three years later, Sue is still slaving away resentfully, and Clare has become a chronic invalid, her ongoing case of the vapors a means to a life of ease and attention. When Sue finds a mysterious diary in the attic, the shock of the information it holds (that her father, a Civil War veteran, was tortured by the events of the war) makes her ill. Sent to bed, Sue sinks into the role of the invalid, believing herself too ill to assume normal life; she doesn't mind seeing Clare forced to take over her duties. When the arsonist who has been burning barns in the area strikes her family's farm, Sue knows she must spring into action if they are to survive. Other than Mama, who is unbelievably dim, this novel is inhabited by vivid characters who offer a real glimpse of the labor-driven existence of 19th-century life. Haas's chronicle of chores, concerns, and motives of members of the community makes for a thought-provoking story of the expectations of men and women after the Civil War, and the tensions caused when one of them changes the rules. (Fiction. 10+)
Pub Date: April 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-688-14883-2
Page Count: 161
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1997
It’s 1949, and 13-year-old Francine Green lives in “the land of ‘Sit down, Francine’ and ‘Be quiet, Francine’ ” at All Saints School for Girls in Los Angeles. When she meets Sophie Bowman and her father, she’s encouraged to think about issues in the news: the atomic bomb, peace, communism and blacklisting. This is not a story about the McCarthy era so much as one about how one girl—who has been trained to be quiet and obedient by her school, family, church and culture—learns to speak up for herself. Cushman offers a fine sense of the times with such cultural references as President Truman, Hopalong Cassidy, Montgomery Clift, Lucky Strike, “duck and cover” and the Iron Curtain. The dialogue is sharp, carrying a good part of this story of friends and foes, guilt and courage—a story that ought to send readers off to find out more about McCarthy, his witch-hunt and the First Amendment. Though not a happily-ever-after tale, it dramatizes how one person can stand up to unfairness, be it in front of Senate hearings or in the classroom. (author’s note) (Fiction. 10-14)
Pub Date: Aug. 14, 2006
ISBN: 0-618-50455-9
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2006
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Certain to provoke controversy and difficult to see as a book for children, who could easily miss the painful point.
After Hitler appoints Bruno’s father commandant of Auschwitz, Bruno (nine) is unhappy with his new surroundings compared to the luxury of his home in Berlin.
The literal-minded Bruno, with amazingly little political and social awareness, never gains comprehension of the prisoners (all in “striped pajamas”) or the malignant nature of the death camp. He overcomes loneliness and isolation only when he discovers another boy, Shmuel, on the other side of the camp’s fence. For months, the two meet, becoming secret best friends even though they can never play together. Although Bruno’s family corrects him, he childishly calls the camp “Out-With” and the Fuhrer “Fury.” As a literary device, it could be said to be credibly rooted in Bruno’s consistent, guileless characterization, though it’s difficult to believe in reality. The tragic story’s point of view is unique: the corrosive effect of brutality on Nazi family life as seen through the eyes of a naïf. Some will believe that the fable form, in which the illogical may serve the objective of moral instruction, succeeds in Boyne’s narrative; others will believe it was the wrong choice.
Certain to provoke controversy and difficult to see as a book for children, who could easily miss the painful point. (Fiction. 12-14)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2006
ISBN: 0-385-75106-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: David Fickling/Random
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2006
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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