``I am glad my brother made an essay for a postscript to your letter. I must get him to read it to me...because I don't understand his writing. I observe that he is Mamma's `Ducky Darling.''' A score of teenaged voices—tart, concerned for family and friends, anguished or detached—bring the revolutionary era uniquely to life. Zall has drawn these letters and diary extracts from some notably obscure sources (all cited), modernizing their spelling and linking them with a historical overview and explanatory introductions. He has chosen well: life in the colonies emerges clearly from 14-year-old Solomon Drowne's account of a 1767 outing to Newport; the courtroom testimony of ``Slave Andrew'' paints a heterodox picture of the Boston Massacre; Samuel Welch, 19, vividly recalls the horrors of Bunker Hill; Betsy Ambler, 16, daughter of a government official, the terrors of staying one step ahead of British raiders. Not everyone is directly affected by the war: Virginia deb Lucinda Lee lives in a postwar whirl of parties; John Quincy Adams plays pranks at Harvard; and Martha Jefferson records her impressions of Paris. An illuminating portrait of a generation both like and unlike ours. Illustrations not seen. (Nonfiction. 11+)
Pub Date: June 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-208-02355-0
Page Count: 214
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1993
Though not the most balanced, an enlightening look back for the queer future.
An adaptation for teens of the adult title A Queer History of the United States (2011).
Divided into thematic sections, the text filters LGBTQIA+ history through key figures in each era from the 1500s to the present. Alongside watershed moments like the 1969 Stonewall uprising and the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, the text brings to light less well-known people, places, and events: the 1625 free love colony of Merrymount, transgender Civil War hero Albert D.J. Cashier, and the 1951 founding of the Mattachine Society, to name a few. Throughout, the author and adapter take care to use accurate pronouns and avoid imposing contemporary terminology onto historical figures. In some cases, they quote primary sources to speculate about same-sex relationships while also reminding readers of past cultural differences in expressing strong affection between friends. Black-and-white illustrations or photos augment each chapter. Though it lacks the teen appeal and personable, conversational style of Sarah Prager’s Queer, There, and Everywhere (2017), this textbook-level survey contains a surprising amount of depth. However, the mention of transgender movements and activism—in particular, contemporary issues—runs on the slim side. Whereas chapters are devoted to over 30 ethnically diverse gay, lesbian, bisexual, or queer figures, some trans pioneers such as Christine Jorgensen and Holly Woodlawn are reduced to short sidebars.
Though not the most balanced, an enlightening look back for the queer future. (glossary, photo credits, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 11, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8070-5612-7
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Beacon Press
Review Posted Online: March 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
With the demand for all things Hamilton still strong, this will resonate with many teen readers.
Over 200 years after his death in a duel with former Vice President Aaron Burr, founding father Alexander Hamilton’s story is a major player in popular culture.
Brockenbrough begins her narrative with a list of the contradictions of Hamilton’s life and then sets out to describe many of them in detail. Hamilton’s wretched childhood and struggles for survival and an education set a tone that depicts him as the consummate self-made man whose flaws damaged both his political career and personal life. Hamilton’s courtship and marriage to Elizabeth Schuyler, a daughter of one of the country’s most influential families, is a key part, along with prominent figures from American history. Sometimes the intricacies of Revolutionary War strategy and Constitutional Convention maneuvering slow things down, making the pace uneven. However, tidbits about Hamilton’s role in the episode with Benedict Arnold and his close relationships with fellow soldier John Laurens and his sister-in-law Angelica Church are intriguing. The story is targeted to an older audience than Teri Kanefield’s Alexander Hamilton: The Making of America (2017), so the sex scandal that derailed Hamilton’s political career is part of the story, as is, of course, the duel that ended his life. After the epilogue, the volume includes information on 18th-century medicine, attire, and warfare among other contextualizing topics ; the volume will be illustrated with archival material (not seen).
With the demand for all things Hamilton still strong, this will resonate with many teen readers. (timeline, source notes, bibliography, index) (Biography. 12-18)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-12319-0
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Aug. 6, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2017
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