Historical Fiction Book Reviews

Lily's Crossing

Giff, Patricia Reilly. 1997. Lily’s Crossing. Delacorte Press: New York, N.Y.

During the summer of 1944, Lily Mollahan and her widowed father, Poppy, make their annual trip to Gram’s house in Rockaway, New York. Lily’s summer expectations of fun and freedom crumble when her father is sent to Europe with the US Army Corp of Engineers after the Allied invasion. Perpetuated by the loss of her mother and anger at her father for leaving, Lily invents imaginative stories and consistently tells lies, which serve to generate the plot. Lily meets a Hungarian boy named Albert who had to leave his ailing sister behind in France, and so the harsh realities of war are a commonality that binds their friendship. The story is beautifully drawn, and the attention to historical detail and vivid descriptions makes it believable. Although the loose ends are tied up a bit too neatly – Lily’s father finds Albert’s sister in France – the happily-ever-after homecoming will bring the tears. It’s a lovely work that would be a fine addition to any collection. Mandy Hooker (Written as an assignment for TWU SLIS).

Sarah, Plain and Tall

MacLachlan, Patricia. 1985. Sarah, Plain and Tall. Harper & Row: New York, N.Y.

MacLachlan has written a warm, affecting story about a widowed mid-western farmer with two children, Anna and Caleb, who advertises for a wife. Sarah leaves her home in Maine for a trial visit with this farm family, and when she arrives, it’s the ocean that she misses the most. She learns to do the work that living on a farm requires, even plowing, and she teaches the family to play again, and even sing – something they haven’t done since Mama died. Because Sarah is so homesick, the children fear that she won’t stay, and one day when she goes to town, they’re afraid she’s not ever coming back. Sarah returns, of course, decides to stay, because though she misses her home in Maine, she would miss them even more. Mandy Hooker (Written as an assignment for TWU SLIS)

Bud, Not Buddy

Curtis, Christopher Paul. 1999. Bud, Not Buddy. Scholastic, Inc.: New York, N.Y.

Set in Michigan in the 1930’s, this irresistible novel features 10 year-old orphan Bud Caldwell, on the run from one of the several foster homes he has lived in since his mother died when he was six. As Bud (not Buddy) sets out on this journey to find his father, whom he believes is jazz musician Herman E. Calloway, he lives by his “Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself”. By relying on his own ingenuity and good fortune, Bud arrives in Grand Rapids and meets an old, grumpy, unwelcoming Herman Calloway. The band, however, welcomes Bud, and their warmth and love make him finally feel at home. The grim details of the Depression, and the harsh conditions that Bud endures do not overshadow the lively humor and adventure that this book offers its readers. Although Curtis explores the difficulties faced by African Americans during this period, the overall message of hope and optimism comes through loud and clear. Mandy Hooker (Written as an assignment for TWU SLIS).

WeedFlower

Kadohata, Cynthia. 2006. Weedflower. Atheneum Books for Young Readers: New York, N.Y.

Twelve-year-old Sumiko lives a content life with her younger brother, Tak – Tak, and her uncle, aunt, grandfather, and cousins on their family’s flower farm in Southern California. Although her parents died years ago, she is surrounded by family and never feels like an orphan. At school, however, Sumiko longs for friendship and acceptance, because she is the only Japanese-American in her class. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, her feelings of isolation turn to fear for the safety of herself and her family. The government officials take her uncle and grandfather to a prison camp in the Midwest, and then she and the remaining members of her family are sent to a camp on a Mohave reservation in Arizona. Sumiko’s only distractions from the boredom of reservation life are a blossoming friendship with a Mohave boy named Frank, and a blossoming garden that she tends with Mr. Moto. The common plight of the Mojave people and the Japanese-Americans, both in a sense “imprisoned”, deepens the connection between Frank and Sumiko. Kadohata’s prose-style writing moves the plot at a steady pace, and her rich character development helps readers connect with their deeply felt emotions on many levels. This is authentically written historical fiction, with issues of friendship, prejudice, and perseverance that will appeal to a wide audience. Mandy Hooker (Written as an assignment for TWU SLIS).