A GOOD COURAGE

by Stephanie S. Tolan ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 22, 1988

A penetrating look at life in a religious commune. Tie-Dye Rainey (Ty) is brought to the Kingdom of Yahweh by his mother, an aging hippie who hopes that this last in along series of similar stops on ""a bus going nowhere"" will give her the kind of security she craves. Ty sympathizes with the newly rebaptized Jordana's need for structure, but finds he cannot bow to the Kingdom's absolute philosophy and cruelty to its children, who are underfed and forced to work long hours in the fields. When he rebels by teaching the younger children to read, he is punished by solitary confinement and a weeklong fast. With the help of Samarah, who shares his aversion to the Kingdom, he escapes--only to be returned by police who are easily fooled by the charismatic Brother Daniel's explanations. But with the aid of a member of the hierarchy who hopes to retrieve the Kingdom's valuable qualities, the escape is finally effected. Tolan makes Daniel's obsession with discipline, Jordana's allegience to a new ""high,"" and the aura of fear and oppression among the children very real. A spellbinding, action-packed cautionary tale.

Pub Date: April 22, 1988

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 240

Publisher: Morrow

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1988

Categories: CHILDREN'S