Tag: Historical Fiction

Story set prior to 1960 that is not primarily a romance.

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The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright

Synopsis

The Saturdays, first book in The Melendy Quartet, is a delightful trot into yesteryear’s childhood. Elizabeth Enright created a family of four siblings who live an “ordinary” life in New York City, yet their minor escapades become “special” adventures. Set in 1941 before America entered World War II, the Melendy children are a little bored. They decide to pool their allowances so each can afford a solo adventure in the City on Saturday afternoons.

What are the adventures? A visit to an art museum, attending the opera, an afternoon at a beauty salon, and going to the circus. Those excursions might sound dull to this generation, but not in the eyes of these characters. Randy’s visit to the art museum initiates an important friendship. On the way home from the opera, Rush acquires a beloved pet—who later saves their lives. The new hairstyle and manicure is a fleeting thrill teaching Mona the meaning of “someday.” And the trek to the circus proves to Oliver that Father’s training pays off in an emergency. Other simple incidents in their lives bring either catastrophes or blessings.

Pros

  1. Kids won’t read about trips to the mall or the latest Xbox game. Instead, they’re drawn into the world of imagination, discovering there are ways to entertain yourself by interacting with people face to face, and without breaking the bank. For people like me this is a good thing. It breaks my heart to watch kids sit with a small device in their hands, ignoring the world around them.
  2. Each of the Saturday adventures teaches the Melendy child (and the reader) a lesson without being preachy.

Cons

Kids won’t read about trips to the mall or the latest Xbox game. For people who are sold on the society of today, they would wilt in boredom if forced to read a chapter about a ten-year-old who discovers an elderly acquaintance had been captured by gypsies in her youth.

Conclusion

If we sense our children are becoming jaded by our texting-social media-video game society, force them to imagine themselves in the Melendy’s moments. As proof that many kids will like what they read, my own experiences in sharing with my students serves as an example.

My growing-up years were well past the Melendy clan, but my brothers and I enjoyed simple adventures of our own. We walked along a highway to reach the ice cream store. We spent entire afternoons in the woods. We biked to the pool and to the movies. We played kickball in the street.

My students were jealous! “You could just go off and not come home for hours?” “They let you walk on roads with no sidewalks? Alone?” “Weren’t they afraid you’d get lost?” “Wouldn’t you get run over?” “How old were you when they let you do that?”

My answers: “Our parents taught us to walk on the left shoulder facing traffic. We packed a lunch and came home in time for dinner. We never got lost. When a car approached during the game, we ran to the side until it passed. I was nine. My brothers were younger.”

If those students thought adventures on their own would be fantastic, your kids will enjoy The Saturdays.

 

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HITTY Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field

HITTY Her First Hundred Years was published before I was born, before my mother was born! I wanted to see if such books are still “readable” in the twenty-first century. My answer? It depends.

As soon as I opened the book, my heart sank. Long narrations and detailed descriptions filled page after page. White space was almost nonexistent. Our instant society can’t stand that, but I challenge those of you who are interested in sampling variety in your reading pleasure:

PLAN to take your time and savor the details that Rachel Field offers to you in this historical novel for children.

Synopsis

HITTY is a doll, carved by a backwoods peddler in the 1820s. Now, she’s an expensive antique watching the world from a shop window. And she decides to write her memoirs. From her beginnings in early America Maine to the South Seas and India, from New Orleans to New York, Boston, and eventually, her original home town, Hitty regales her readers, young and old, with historical details of events, cultures, and fashions. The further I progressed, the more enthralled I became with her story. No wonder Fields won the 1930 Newbery Medal.

Pros

1. Hitty’s voice is immediately distinctive. I love reading passages out loud just to hear her!
2. Field’s talent for description is amazing. Read the words and YOU ARE THERE.
3. The book is a wonderful history text, told in story form, and gives us a living sense of the times of each era.

Cons

1. Since Hitty has no ability to speak, dialog is minimal, and I do love dialog in fiction. The only conversations we can read are those where Hitty was a witness.
2. I found myself skimming some of the long descriptions. I’m sure they were just as good as the ones where I read every detail. I confess—while I’m a patient reader, I live in the twenty-first century, and I have my moments of “hurry up and get on with it.”

Discussion Questions

Pick a chapter, any chapter. Ask your child or students about the setting, about how things have changed since Hitty first started her adventures. What have they gleaned from her description of her current surroundings? Hitty maintains an 1830s worldview, so as the decades pass and society’s mores evolve, her values do not.

Conclusion

Take your time and enjoy this gentle voyage through history.

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Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

I’ve previously reviewed Kate DiCamillo, and there’s a reason she consistently wins the highest awards in the nation for her stories. Because of Winn-Dixie is no exception.

Synopsis

Winn-Dixie is a dog, so named under unusual circumstances, and he really doesn’t do much in this tale except act like an average dog, but if it weren’t for Winn-Dixie, much of the story wouldn’t have happened.

Ten-year-old India Opal Buloni tells the story. Opal is new to town. Her dad’s the preacher of a little church, and her mom has disappeared for reasons we learn throughout the book. As Winn-Dixie and Opal explore the town and meet an odd assortment of characters, she learns what it means to treat people with kindness, even those who may not deserve it. And who knows? She might find a new friend.

Pros

  1. Without ever mentioning the name of Jesus, the message throughout Because of Winn-Dixie is clear. Love your neighbor, turn the other cheek, walk the extra mile, encourage one another, be kind.
  2. The language is simple, and each chapter can be read as its own short story, which makes for a great family reading time.
  3. While most kids might not ever meet characters like Gloria Dump or Otis, all kids bump up against bullies like Dunlap and Stevie, or they must deal with stuck-up princesses like Amanda. Opal learns how to deal with both types. Her example makes for a great object lesson for her readers.

Cons

Today’s child is so sucked into instant everything that the novel, as with most vintage reads, will feel too slow at first. Yet Because of Winn-Dixie was only published seventeen years ago. What does that tell you about how quickly our society has changed?

Discussion Questions

My copy has a series of questions in the back. If your copy doesn’t have it, here are three of my own:

  1. Why does Opal decide to adopt Winn-Dixie in spite of how he looks and smells?
  2. What would not have happened to Opal if she never kept Winn-Dixie?
  3. Why do you think Opal doesn’t miss her mother quite so much by the end of the book?

Conclusion

As a dog-lover, Because of Winn-Dixie is one of my favorite books. The author obviously understands doggie behaviors. As a lover of literature, Because of Winn-Dixie is a favorite. DiCamillo is an artist in using few words to evoke powerful emotions in the reader.

 

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Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes

Until last week, I had never read Johnny Tremain. Shame on me! And shame on me that after the first thirty pages, I was ready to recommend only the most patient of readers should stick with the book. Sure, it was a Newbery Medal Winner. Of 1943. Language has changed and Esther Forbes’s habit of explaining the obvious to her readers was annoying.

HOWEVER, I urge you to stick with it! The deeper I progressed into the story, the more I could see why it was a medal winner, and I didn’t want to stop reading. Esther Forbes was an avid historian of the Revolutionary War. She was particularly interested in the goings-on of the Sons of Liberty in Boston leading up to Paul Revere’s famous ride and the Shot Heard Round the World. She then took what she had learned and used a small incident, the boy who took the message to the friend who would hang the lanterns in the North-Church-tower (“one if by land and two if by sea”), and created a children’s novel in order to bring Revolutionary times to life for every generation.

Not only are we reminded of historical events, but Forbes lets us peek into the real, and often flawed, lives of many of the leaders of the Revolution. She depicts the British as real men,  not monsters. They tried to keep the peace by allowing rebels freedom of movement in the hopes that war could be averted, for after all, the Revolution was all about Englishman vs. Englishman. A civil war.

As I read, I could see the book was well researched. If you obtain a copy with Gary D. Schmidt’s introduction, you will see just how well researched it was. Study it! Schmidt gives fascinating insights into the author, her scholastic abilities, and her message.

revolutionary-war-minutemen

Synopsis

Johnny Tremain is apprenticed to a silversmith. When an accident to his hand prevents him from following his dream to surpass the skills of the famed Paul Revere, he searches for whatever work the maimed hand will allow him to do. Thus, he becomes involved with the Sons of Liberty, a messenger boy who shares what he learns listening to British soldiers in the taverns of Boston.

Pros:

  1. Homeschool parents and teachers, the novel itself supplements the best history curricula of the Revolutionary War. It would make a great novel for reading class or for reading as a family.
  2. I’m a strong believer in learning how to adjust to different writing styles. Well-written books published in 1943 or in 1843 or in 1743 were great for their time and are still great today. The twenty-first century’s arrogant sense of “get to the point with as few words as possible” needs to be displaced by an appreciation for timeless literature regardless of style. Johnny Tremain is one of those classics.

Cons:

I can think of two that reflect worse on the reader than on the author.

  1. The writing style is wordy and “telling.” We value succinct and “showing.” Both can be done well. The reader who can’t stand wordiness will not like this book.
  2. Readers who don’t want their idols knocked off their pedestals won’t want to read Johnny Tremain. Samuel Adams is displayed in all his energy, his enthusiasm, and—his thirst for British blood. I was surprised and uncomfortable by the revelation. But I’m planning on buying his biography to learn more.

Discussion Questions:

These can range from simple discussion of historical events to soul-searching questions of right and wrong. I’ll mention a couple that came to mind regarding the latter.

  1. The Tories, those loyal to the Crown of England, did not feel the colonists had a good enough reason to go to war. Over taxes? Was it worth it to go to war over money? What’s your opinion?
  2. The Whigs, also known as rebels, felt it was wrong to meekly accept taxation without representation. A few went further, deciding that a revolution in the American colonies would pave the way for freedom for every citizen of every nation in the world someday. If you had lived in Boston in 1773, would you have been Tory or a Whig? Why?

Conclusion:

Shortly before the confrontation at Lexington, James Otis made an informal speech to the Sons of Liberty speaking on the eternal values liberty represented. He claimed it wasn’t worth it to fight for money or for representation in the British Parliament. But it was worth it to fight for the right of a man to “stand up.” This was the author’s message as men stood up for freedom in World War II. The same message applies as men stood up for freedom in Korea, in Vietnam, in Kuwait, and they stand in Iraq and in Afghanistan today. It’s why the world fights ISIS and its ilk.

I’ll finish with a Bible verse, perhaps taken slightly out of context, but its meaning applies. Because there are principalities and powers of the air who direct more than we may be aware of, God instructs us to put on His armor and face the enemy. Ephesians 6:13 sums up the idea in one verse: “And when you have done all, STAND.” This is the message of Johnny Tremain. Men of ideals, not all of them perfect ideals, stood for what they believed was right and true. When they had done all that they knew in dealing peaceably with King George III, they stood and held their ground against tyranny. Johnny Tremain teaches our children to do the same.

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Julie by Catherine Marshall

Catherine Marshall is famous for her novel Christie. I don’t want to review it here because it has won so many awards I have to believe everyone who reads Scriblerians is fully aware of the beautiful story. A true classic.

But are all of you aware of her other novel? Julie? She only wrote two, and Julie was published after her death.

Based on events in Catherine’s young womanhood, Julie Wallace is the eighteen-year-old daughter of a pastor who has left his position to become a newspaper publisher in a small, steel-working town during the Depression years of 1934-35. The challenges that follow in their new life also force Julie to evaluate her understanding of God. As tempers rise within the town and as danger approaches, Julie will discover just how strong her faith is–or is not.

Pros

  1. Julie makes for a great YA read. While conflicts abound, Catherine Marshall makes sure the story is wholesome.
  2. The best realistic fiction places readers so deeply in the story they feel they “are there.” Julie, like Christie, does that.
  3. The message of faith and family as most important runs through the entire novel.
  4. Pastor Wallace’s deep faith provides an excellent balance to Julie’s questions regarding her own.
  5. The details in the flood scene are amazing! Based on the Johnstown Flood of 1889, Marshall uses her research to create a similar flood from a dam break. Those details remain vivid in my memory thirty years after reading the book!

Cons

  1. Many readers don’t like the love triangle. I don’t have a problem with it. It’s a secondary plot to moral questions regarding the greed of steel mill owners versus the downtrodden union organizers. Besides, competing suitors do arise in real life. Julie is not mature enough to handle the situation perfectly, which is why the book is so realistic and why readers identify so well with Marshall’s characters.

Discussion Questions

  1. Julie always wanted to be a writer so she is thrilled to have a job with her father at the newspaper. What would be the perfect job for you?
  2. With the problems between the steelworkers and the mill owners getting worse, Julie and her father had to make some difficult decisions as to what was the right thing to do as they wrote for the newspaper. What would you do if powerful people tried to stop you from doing what you knew was right?
  3. Terrible things happened during the flood. And wonderful, heroic actions happened, too. What do you think you will remember most about the flood?

 

The setting of the newspaper business in a town struggling with union issues provides fodder for much family discussion on ethics and morality. Talking about your family’s value system and how it relates to the world is one of the most precious teaching opportunities you can provide for your children. Julie is one tool you can use in those discussions.

 

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Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

Set in 1934 Oklahoma, Out of the Dust inspires its readers with the indomitable human spirit in the midst of tragedy.

Once upon a time, thirteen-year-old Billie Jo had talent as a pianist.                Once upon a time, the family farm provided for their needs. Now, the crops have failed, the government has stepped in to “help,” her mother is dead, and her hands are burned, almost useless. Billie Jo can’t forgive herself, nor can she forgive her dad for his seeming apathy in the midst of their tragedies. She runs away.

Set in 1934 Oklahoma, Out of the Dust inspires its readers with the indomitable human spirit in the midst of tragedy. Billie Jo and her father heal over a period of almost two years, and she learns the meaning of home, however imperfect.

The story is written in free verse, something I normally wouldn’t care for, but in this novel, it works. The depth of Billie Jo’s hurt is told in a matter-of-fact style, an anecdote here, a wistful little episode there. Both story and form earned Karen Hesse the 1998 Newbery Medal.

Pros

  • The details provide an excellent sense of daily history during the Great Depression.
  • By the end of the story, Billie Jo (and the reader) are left with a sense of hope. Life has its seasons. She survived the worst she’s ever known, and it looks like a season of blessing is heading her way.

Cons

  • This story is marketed toward children eleven to thirteen years old. I’d raise the age by another year. Fifth-graders may have a hard time with the graphic word pictures of Billie Jo’s burned hands and the burns that her mother didn’t survive.
  • While I enjoyed the free verse style, others may not.
  • Discussion Questions
  1. Because of the Great Depression, many people who had made a good living on their farms became poor. What are some of the ways people reacted to the changes in their lives?
  2. The fire was an accident. Why did Billie Jo feel guilty?
  3. Why did Billie Jo run away from home?
  4. Do you think Billie Jo will be happy with her new stepmother?

 

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The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman

Synopsis

The Midwife’s Apprentice, 1996 Newbery Award winner, realistically depicts the Middle Ages (early fourteenth century) through the eyes of a preteen girl in a simple, narrative style with easy-to-read prose.

Alyce, aka Brat or Dung Beetle, is a street urchin in a small village. She survives as a beggar and a scavenger, eating from garbage heaps and sleeping in mounds of dung. The local midwife takes her in, not merely out of the goodness of her heart. While Alyce becomes known as the midwife’s apprentice, in reality the woman has only given her menial chores and gardening duties. She shows Alyce no affection and doesn’t teach the girl midwifery. Instead, Alyce gathers her small amount of courage, and in peril of being discovered, sneaks into cottages where the midwife has been called so she can observe what is done for mothers and babies. Eventually, Alyce displays skills that rival the midwife. But that is only the external story.

The internal growth going on in Alyce is what won Cushman the Newbery. In a cruel world, Alyce, who has received no encouragement to love others, exercises her God-given compassionate nature and finds her place in the world.

Pros

  1. Karen Cushman provides little known facts of the era, and I never tire of learning history.
  2. Not only does The Midwife’s Apprentice teach a slice of Western Civilization, Cushman also provides an author’s note sharing facts on the history of midwifery.
  3. For all that the style is not what today’s reader is used to, it’s short (my edition had 117 pages), and its simplicity makes it a quick read.
  4. With all the negatives in Alyce’s life, the author is able to portray simple joys through events the girl had never before experienced: the praise of a friend, the gaiety of a country fair, a bath in the river.

Cons

  1. The dialogue is a bit rough on the ears for twenty-first century preteens. The characters’ daily treatment of each other is enough to warrant family discussions!
  2. TMI. The nature of the midwife’s job may be more information than you wish your ten-year-old to absorb. Without being graphic in every detail, the author gives a no-holds-barred portrait of the hard work and messiness required in labor and delivery.
  3. With nothing sugar-coated as mentioned above, I’m not sure upper elementary school children are ready for this book, even though the protagonist starts out around twelve years old.

Discussion Questions

Pick a page, any page, and you will find several topics for discussion—from the harsh times of the Middle Ages to the puzzle of the midwife’s motivations in dealing with Alyce as she did. The woman has some redeeming qualities after all.

My Recommendation:

If you proactively guide your children in becoming aware of the darkness of humanity in the safety of your home, I recommend this novel wholeheartedly.

If you prefer to protect your children for a little while longer, then save it for another year, or five.

 

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Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

 

The Importance of This Story

This novel brings to life the plight of millions of citizens of Poland, Lithuania, and Prussia (a country that no longer exists), who were victims of both Nazi and Russian brutality during World War II. Descriptions of the horrors these people endured or succumbed to were sometimes hard to read, yet I wanted to learn more about this lesser known part of the war’s history.

Characterization, the Feature I Value Most

The characters become acquainted with one another while trying to escape both the Communist Russians and the Nazis. Talk about being caught in the middle! The characters’ goal is to reach a ship on the Baltic Sea coast that will take them to safety. On the way, they demonstrate their tendencies toward self-sacrifice or self-absorption. I don’t recall profanity used as a crutch for characterization.

These fictional characters are so very human within a real historical event that I didn’t mind the story being told from many points of view. And I rarely enjoy a novel with more than one or two points of view, which I feel is usually all that is necessary.

Is it Young Adult, or … ?

I don’t consider this a YA novel, as it is promoted. Because of the maturity of the main characters and the more adult content, I’d label it New Adult. Only one of the main characters appears to be a teen. The rest are twentyish or at least older than the protagonist in most YA, and the two that carry the story (IMO) are the nurse and the mysterious soldier. Teens may be disappointed in it (or shocked) unless they love history and don’t mind the seriousness and brutality in the story. However, I recommend it to emotionally mature teens over the age of 14 who might be interested. This novel could be called a coming-of-age story in the most extreme sense of the term.

 

Pros:

  1. Provides lesson in lesser-known events of World War II
  2. Well written
  3. Acceptable for Christian teens over 14 years old who are not overly sensitive to violence

 

Cons:

  1. Labeled YA but more NA
  2. Graphic descriptions of horror and brutality
  3. Sad ending based on fact
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Firebrand by Sarah MacTavish

Firebrand by Sarah MacTavish is a historical fiction novel about slavery that is recommended for young adults and adults (8th grade and up).

Synopsis:

Saoirse buried her older brother the day after they arrived in Texas. She blames herself for his death and so does her family. The only ones left who speak kindly to her are her cousin, Jack, and Abigail, the family’s loyal slave.

Saoirse and Jack want to free Abigail, but anti-slavery views are dangerous, especially after a series of fires destroys half the town. The slaves are suspected of plotting an insurrection.

Saoirse is determined to find out who actually started the fires, but every question puts her and her family in further danger.

Westleigh lives in the relative comfort and safety of Dove Hollow, Pennsylvania. His anti-slavery views, though not always popular with the people in town, are not a danger to him. That is, until he and his adoptive father take in a freedman as a favor. Westleigh overhears a conversation between his father and a long-time friend that makes him question what he knows about his past.

Pros:

  • I could not put this book down from the moment I cracked it open. Sarah MacTavish has a captivating writing style that pulls you into the characters’ journeys and lets you experience their heartbreak, joy, love, confusion, and desperation.
  • The fires mentioned in the book were a real event in North Texas that incited “The Texas Panic of 1860”. I live in the Dallas area and had never heard of this before, so it was interesting to learn a new piece of my local history.
  • Though not explicitly “Christian fiction,” the Bible is quoted throughout the book, and there are strong Christian themes of redemption and true freedom. Abigail and Jack have a strong faith and attend a secret church service at night with slaves in the area.
  • Jack and Abigail show love to Saoirse when she is rejected by her family.
  • Saoirse has a strong sense of justice and stands up for the right even when it puts her in danger.
  • Deep, well-developed characters and character journeys. All characters had depth and layers, including the ones I hated, and the ones I wanted to hate. Westleigh, who at first was rather unimpressive to me, made me change my opinion of him in Chapter 17. I love when characters surprise me!

Cons:

  • There is some minor language in this book, including “d—” and “h—” and derogatory language toward slaves.
  • A few disturbing scenes of slaves being sold in an auction and being beaten by their masters.
  • A girl is slapped across the face by her brother.
  • References are made to an infidelity and abuse.
  • This is the first book in a series (a little detail I did not realize until halfway through the book), and it ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger. Book 2 is not out yet.

Overall:

This is a fantastic story dealing with anger, guilt, and broken people searching for forgiveness. It handles the harsh realities of slavery in pre-Civil War United States with respect and fairness, without glorifying or dwelling on the ugly details.

The book forces the reader to ask the question, “What would I do in the face of injustice?” Recommended for young adults and adults (8th grade and up), especially those who love historical fiction, suspense-filled plots, and complex characters.

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The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes

“Everyone knows a Wanda.” I stole that from a recent Amazon review of The Hundred Dresses. Winner of the 1945 Newbery Honor Award, The Hundred Dresses has never been out of print. Why? Because it’s an ageless story about bullying.

Nineteen-forties America wasn’t familiar with cyber-bullying, but every generation has had to deal with sinful human nature, bullying being one of those sins. In this case, the bullying is among girls.

Wanda is a from a Polish immigrant family, she has a single father who’s doing his best to keep her clothed and clean and fed. But the wealthier girls in class notice Wanda wears the same blue dress every day. Wanda claims she has one hundred dresses in her closet, and of course, everyone laughs. The ringleader never lets her off the hook and baits her constantly.

The book is written from Maddie’s point-of-view. She’s one of the more popular girls in class, and she wants to keep it that way, so she never crosses the bully. But she feels guilty about not standing up for Wanda, especially when Wanda suddenly moves away.

Based on a true story from Eleanor Estes’s childhood, The Hundred Dresses teaches children the world over the painful lesson of causing someone else’s hurt.

Pros

  • The entire story is a lesson in empathy. Our world needs more of it!
  • While targeted for girls seven to ten years old, it’s a great story to read to younger children, or to read aloud in a small group of upper elementary students. And while considered too juvenile, even junior high and high school students will get the universal message of “Love your neighbor.”

Cons

  • Because it was written more than half a century ago, the illustrations and style of language are dated. That’s not a bad thing in and of itself. The language is perfectly understandable to any reader at a third-grade level (unlike Elizabethan English!), but if your child will only read a book with bright colors and high action, The Hundred Dresses is not his or her cup of tea.

Discussion Questions

  • Have you ever known a person like Wanda who was new and different and didn’t fit in with your classmates?
  • Maddie felt badly for Wanda. Why didn’t she do anything to help? Were her reasons good or bad? Why do you think so?
  • What did you think when Wanda sent Maddie one of her dresses?

Final Word

As you may have guessed from the last discussion question, Wanda really did have a hundred dresses! Each one was a beautiful creation.