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NOVEMBER 2008 REVIEWS:
HITLER AND MARS BARS
Dianne Ascroft, Trafford, 2008,
£11.99/$23.22, pb, 338pp, 9781425145910
Erich, a victim of war-ravaged World War II Germany, is part of a
little-known Red Cross initiative called Operation Shamrock. The program,
instituted following World War II, helped German refugees find homes in the
relative calm of rural Ireland. The program, set up in the context of Ireland’s
neutral stance, was perhaps a means for Ireland to integrate itself back into
the community of Europe following the catastrophic war.
The novel follows Erich’s journey from war-scarred, timid young boy,
distraught by the death of his mother, to assertive young man poised to make his
mark as he travels to England to begin a new life. Erich is placed in the care
of several foster homes as he struggles to assimilate in his new country. He
faces many obstacles as he is singled out for his accent, his stuttering, and
his stubbornness. Additionally, he finds love, indifference, and cruelty in the
homes he visits. A truly heartbreaking moment occurs when he is forced to leave
the loving home of Aunt Elsie and Daddy Davy because Aunt Elsie becomes ill and
is unable to care for him. Through both hardship and joy, Erich displays
resourcefulness, intelligence, and resiliency.
The novel does an excellent job of showing how the devastation of war
continues long after the guns have been silenced. Erich is haunted by nightmares
and feelings of displacement long after the war has ended. The terrible cost can
never be known because we can never truly understand the human consequences for
both victims and survivors. This book attempts to help us better understand the
plight of one boy as he struggles with war and its aftermath. -- Gerard Shea
THE QUEEN'S TALE
D.J. Birmingham, Xlibris, 2007, $19.99, pb, 361pp, 9781425771942
In pre-Christian Ireland, a golden harp brooch plays a role in a
tragic betrayal and the murder of a young queen. The brooch is buried with the
dead girl, and a curse is proclaimed that anyone who finds and wears it will
doom themselves and their family to violent deaths. For centuries the brooch
remains undisturbed, and the curse is forgotten—until
1302, when the wife of an English baron ruling in Ireland finds the brooch and,
thinking it a relic of St. Patrick, gives it to her son as a good-luck charm.
From that day, the fates of three families intertwine as the brooch makes its
way through Ireland, England, and Scotland, spreading death and destruction in
its wake. From the courts of Irish kings to the dysfunctional household of
Edward II and the tumultuous family of Robert the Bruce, the curse of the golden
harp leaves a permanent bloodstain across British history.
A large cast of historical figures plays out public and private
battles in The Queen’s Tale, a mix of fact, fiction, myth, and fantasy.
The research is meticulous and draws the reader into the world of the
characters, who come across as realistic and interesting. The one exception is
the narrator, who seems somewhat unnecessary; the story could have been told
just as well without him. Nevertheless, the action holds pace throughout, the
supernatural element is intriguing, and the numerous plots hold the reader's
interest to the end. The Queen’s Tale is the first in a planned series of
four books.
-- Heather Domin
MY MOTHER BIDS ME
Rosy Cole, Lulu, 2007, $13.72, pb,
192pp, 9781847991287
Roisin Harcup was raised as the middle daughter in a clergyman’s
family, but she feels like she’s meant for greater excitement. A secret trip to
the Brighton Fair with her lady’s maid opens Roisin’s eyes to the world outside
her provincial town and her betrothal to Anthony March, a kind, if dull, local
gentleman. When her father’s punishment for escaping the house in pursuit of
earthly pleasures proves too much, Roisin flees to Brighton where she finds a
job as a seamstress—and a male admirer named Leo Penrose. Roisin soon discovers
that the dressmaking shop is a front for a house of ill repute and escapes yet
again, this time to work as a governess. While employed as a governess, Roisin
begins to discover the truth about her heritage—that she was adopted, and that
her mother went insane when she was jilted by her lover. Now Roisin fears that
she could take after her mother in unexpected ways.
Cole seems to be trying to
accomplish too much in this brief novel, which shifts unexpectedly from a gothic
tale of a doomed relationship to, in the last chapter, a blow-by-blow military
history of Napoleon’s final battle at Waterloo. The gothic aspects of the novel
are far more successful, and Cole manages to avoid the clichés that tend to
plague similar books. Roisin has pluck and spirit, and though the brevity of the
book forces her relationship with Leo to develop and escalate quickly, it’s
still believable enough to be entertaining. -- Nanette Donohue
A VAGABOND ARMY
John Conradis, Fireside Fiction,
2008, $28.00, pb, 288pp, 9780788446207
The Old Line Chronicles series continues with this second volume,
which follows the continuing adventures of Maryland soldier Christopher Sims.
Christopher has found love with former indentured servant Hannah Williams, but
the Revolution that the two believe so strongly in is off to a difficult start.
The Continental Army struggles against the better-organized British, the
conditions are grave, and the losses are devastating. Christopher is separated
from Hannah while he fights in the war in New York and New Jersey, and a number
of new characters are introduced, including Mary McBride, a brave woman and
devoted Revolutionary who travels with the Marylanders to assist them with
cooking and cleaning.
Though this is the second in the series, it stands well on its
own. Like The Willing War, the first volume in the series, the military
history is blended seamlessly with the personal history of one single solider
and his compatriots, making the story historically accurate yet relatable.
Conradis’s descriptions of the horrifying conditions that the Revolutionary
soldiers faced are extremely detailed and leave little to the imagination. He is
obviously passionate about his topic, and his enthusiasm for the history of this
era is apparent. The ending leaves several questions unanswered, making way for
the next installment, which I look forward to reading. -- Nanette Donohue
THE FIRE AND THE
LIGHT: A Novel of the Cathars and the Lost Teachings of Christ
Glen Craney, Brigid’s Fire Press,
2008, $24.95, hb, 487pp, 9780981648477
Spanning roughly sixty years in the late 12th and early 13th
centuries, this story portrays the spread and persecution of the Cathar faith in
France. Considered heretics, the Cathars preached pacifism, ordained women, and
were accused of practicing black magic because of their skill with healing.
Esclarmonde de Foix starts out as a headstrong girl in the Toulousian Courts of
Love, but after an encounter with a Cathar elder, finds herself increasingly
drawn to the faith, and after undergoing certain spiritual trials, she
eventually finds herself acting as the leader of the Cathars, dedicated to God
and her people. Throughout, she struggles with her love for a Templar knight who
often rescues her in times of need, but neither can choose their love over their
faith without breaking sacred vows.
This book is clearly well-researched, but more importantly for a
novel, it tells a thoroughly engrossing story. As Esclarmonde struggles with her
faith and the war sweeping her country, Craney explores issues of theology, a
variety of historical events and characters, forbidden love, and the strength
and strain of family ties through war. Some of the battle and persecution scenes
are quite gruesome as the depictions are quite true to life, and at times the
language is a little overblown, making some scenes difficult to follow. Overall,
though, this is a well-written and compellingly told story of a little-known
figure from medieval France.
This book would appeal to those interested in medieval French history
and readers who were intrigued by some of the historical underpinnings of Dan
Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, and it is a well-told epic story of faith and
love.
-- Ann K. D. Myers
DOVES MIGRATION
Linda Daly, Light Sword Publishing,
2008, $16.95, pb, 324pp, 9780980073355
Doves Migration
picks up where the previous volume in the Doves Collect saga (Rebel Dove),
left off, with newlyweds Elise and Joshua Carmidy following their family and
friends from Virginia to New York City. The Civil War has ended, their hometown
of Fairfax is troubled, and almost the entire community is relocating.
The move to a larger city doesn’t reduce the amount of drama or
conflict in the characters’ lives. Elise’s friend Miranda quickly becomes
involved with Joshua’s son Tad, then with Gilbert O’Flaherty, an Irish immigrant
who delivers ice to the orphanage where Miranda works. Felicity, the main
character from Virtuous Dove (the first novel in the saga), finds herself
in the middle of a feud with femme fatale Lavinia—and the object of Lavinia’s
husband’s obsession. Meanwhile, the U.S. is rebuilding after the horrors of the
Civil War, and tensions between North and South are still high.
There were so many characters and so much activity taking place in
Doves Migration that the plot was difficult to follow at times. The novel
may begin with Elise and Joshua, but they quickly disappear on a honeymoon trip
to Europe, leaving the reader with a lot of unfamiliar characters who seem to be
in the middle of a longstanding and very convoluted conflict. The occasional
similarities in character names do not make things any clearer—one scene
featuring an Anna and an Annabelle was particularly confusing. There is little
subtlety here, and the characters seem to be either purely good or purely evil.
While I understand that sagas are, by their nature, panoramic, a tighter focus
on a smaller central set of characters would have made Doves Migration a
much better book. Recommended only for readers who have enjoyed previous volumes
in the series. -- Nanette Donohue
CITY OF REFUGE
Valerie Farber, Inkwell
Enterprises, 2008, $17.95, pb, 393pp, 098160580X
City of Refuge
follows the entwining fortune of two young
people in the early days of the Israelite nation as they escape unfair
persecution. Bat-Shachar is a beautiful, diligent, and good girl
underappreciated by her father, a well-respected priest and Israelite scholar of
her village. An unwanted engagement spurs a series of events and adventures that
leads to her life and reputation being endangered. Tzuriel is a hard-working
blacksmith apprentice that has vowed to create quality weapons to protect his
people. An unexpected accident leads to him and his best friend fleeing for
their lives to a city of refuge. Bat-Shachar and Tzuriel come to share their
flight and fortunes.
The author puts a great deal of energy into researching and explaining
the daily activities of biblical-era villagers. The beginning of the book is
heavily annotated with explanatory historical notes and an appendix is attached
for further clarification. The detailed explanation of early Hebrew law and the
functioning of its courts are interesting and central to the story and themes.
The novel touches upon love, death, betrayal, loyalty, and vengeance. This book
will appeal to those interested in Old Testament life and times.
-- Amanda Yesilbas
ROGUES & REBELS
Jo Field, Discovered Authors,
2008, £12.99, pb, 563pp, 9781905108619
Alexander Dynam of Tawford has taken up arms for the king in the
English Civil War and has put together a unit of skilled fighting men who are
first and foremost loyal to one another. While scouting and fighting for Sir
Ralph Hopton, Tawford must also come to grips with the truth of his parentage
and make use of his own network of spies and scouts in order to protect his
family from someone who wishes him dead.
Field does an excellent job of portraying the historical realities of
warfare and the violence of the time, families split over their allegiances to
King or Parliament, and day-to-day living in 17th century England.
Historical figures interact believably with fictional characters, and she even
depicts local dialects and other period details. We see not only the life of men
pressed into service as soldiers, but also the lives of the women left behind to
defend their homes and children. But the book is not primarily about these
big-picture issues; instead, we follow the adventures of Field’s
larger-than-life hero. His character is strikingly reminiscent of Dorothy
Dunnett’s Francis Crawford of Lymond in personality and flair, though their
backgrounds are very different.
This is the first installment of the Tawford Chronicles, and would
appeal to fans of Dunnett, those interested in the period of the English Civil
War, and anyone who loves a good adventure story with a compelling hero who gets
into both dangerous and amusing scrapes. Readers of this volume will eagerly
await the second in the series. -- Ann K. D. Myers
CHARLEY’S CHOICE: The
Life and Times of Charley Parkhurst
Fern J. Hill, Infinity Publishing,
2008, $15.95, pb, 280pp, 074144643X
The story opens with the death of Charley Parkhurst and the subsequent
revelation to many long time friends that Charley was a woman. The body of the
novel is the first-person account of an amazing woman that set her own course in
life to purse her passion of horsemanship across the expanding U.S. frontier of
the mid 1800s. While the story is driven by intense action from the very
beginning, Charley’s escape from an orphanage while under murder suspicion, to
the very end, Charley’s amazing feats of driving while older and physically
impaired, the truly compelling nature of the story is Charley herself.
It is rare and refreshing to find such a well-drawn and complex
female character. Charley is colorful, flawed, generous, and yet vengeful when
provoked. The author gracefully addresses topics of women’s rights without ever
being heavy handed, primarily through her excellent portrayal of a fully
fleshed-out protagonist that feels real and believable in situations that read
as true events instead of talking points.
The entire book is imbued with a deep love and respect for horses that
will ring true to any equestrian fan. Charley embodies the American pioneering
spirit with her tough, driven, but exuberant, life. -- Amanda Yesilbas
THE LENAPE HOMELAND
James G. Landis, Conquest Publishing, 2005, $10.99, pb, 211pp, 0977212319
The Lenape Homeland is the first of four volumes in The
Conquest Series, the extended saga of the Delaware Indians. Relying
on historical accounts from Lenape orators, Landis fills in the details,
depicting the many times of war and peace between the Europeans and the Lenape
in early America. The first volume gives readers an introduction to the Great
Spirit, master storyteller Owechela, and influential Lenape sachems Mattahorn,
Tamenend, and Eesanques. All of the experiences included in The Lenape
Homeland lead toward the final goal of describing the circumstances
surrounding the life of Issac Glikkikan, a renowned war chief who eventually
became a Christian. As a "Praying Indian," Glikkikan was influential amongst
the Christian Indian villages of Schoenbrunn, Gnadenhuetten, and Lichtenau,
Ohio, during the turmoil of the Revolutionary War.
The struggles presented in volume one of The Conquest Series
are those that society still struggles with today: the battle between good and
evil, disagreements about power and control, and the futility of revenge. The
mere fact that the historical evidence about the Lenape homeland, which this
book was based upon, still exists today speaks to the dedication and strength of
the Lenape people. In addition, the book contains beautiful illustrations,
colors, maps and other imagery, adding to the reader's understanding of and
appreciation for this turbulent time in America's history. -- Erin Dorney
1919: MISFORTUNE'S END
Paula Phelan, ZAPMedia, 2007,
$14.95, pb, 237pp, 0977819205
The year is 1919. The
Great War is over and thousands of soldiers return to the United States
expecting to jump back into the lives they knew before. Unfortunately,
misfortune has changed their families and their country forever. In addition to
the loss of soldiers in the war, influenza has taken the lives of millions more,
inflation strangles the populace, and no work is to be found. The nation is a
powder keg; President Wilson no longer understands or cares for his people, and
cruel, ignorant men are allowed to attack innocents in the streets for the color
of their skin or nationality. With Wilson distracted, the newly-created FBI
gains more and more power and the paranoid and ambitious agents Palmer and
Hoover engage in a witch hunt to get rid of all immigrants and “communists,”
arbitrarily deporting nationalized citizens and their families.
1919: Misfortune’s End
is astonishing for the constant barrage of horrors that are brought upon two
very different families, but the history behind the fiction is sadly true.
Phelan’s novel gives a face and voice to this history through two extraordinary
families in Washington D.C. and Boston, families that represent opposites in
situation, education, and wealth, but whose lives are equally affected in the
chaotic year. The Johnsons, a well-off African American family struggle living
in Washington, still mired in the Jim Crow South, faced with hatred despite
their extraordinary talents and contributions to their country. The Kellys of
Boston face the hardships of near-poverty, hard times, and the abuses of a
non-unionized and unprotected workplace.
Phelan’s novel
is well researched and the dialogue is engaging; characters sparkle
with energy, intelligence and spirit. Jumps between characters and
scenes are rapid and frequent in the second half of the novel, making
it feel somewhat rushed, but this is a novel to be appreciated for
its energy, passion and optimism. -- Catherine Perkins
ECLIPSED BY
SHADOW
John Royce, Micron Press, 2008, $22.95, pb, 292pp, 9780972412131
The first in a trilogy, Eclipsed by Shadow tells the tale of a
horse-crazy teenager traveling through time on a horse. This unusual-sounding
summary had me skeptical at first, but the story is surprisingly page turning,
and it left me yearning for the next installment.
On June 21, 2001, when a unique colt is born, Meagan Roberts’ life is
suddenly and irrevocably changed. This special palomino, Promise, is rumored to
be the next "Great Horse," and when thieves attempt to steal her horse, Meagan
leaps on Promise and rides her for the first time. But instead of galloping
across the field, Promise takes to the air and flies through time and history.
Meagan's quest to find home takes her from 20,000 B.C. North America to 100 A.D.
Rome and then to 1240 Central Asia. Meagan’s only defense in these places is her
21st century equine insight as she is thrust into slavery, mistaken for a
Tartar, and accused of being a witch.
The adventures Meagan experiences and the people she meets along the
way create a vivid historical tale through the ages when horses were used for
work, war, sport, and exhibition. This well-informed tale has great plot and
character development, wonderful descriptions of equine history, and a
tension-ridden cliffhanging ending that will leave you gnawing at the bit for
more. -- Rebecca Roberts
FOOTPRINTS IN THE
ASH: A Pompeii Mystery
Stanley Salmons, UKA Press,
2008, $19.99, pb, 300pp, 9781905796175
In August 79 A.D., a small group of Pompeii villagers fled from
the erupting Vesuvius. Two thousand years later, when Oxford Professor Julian
Lockhart mysteriously disappears after an exciting find on an archaeological
dig, his wife hires detectives Nick Roberts and Lucia Fabri to solve the
mystery. While assisting the Italian police with the investigation, Nick and
Lucia uncover more than they bargained for, and when sinister forces—both human
and natural—strike, the two race for survival in an uncanny re-enactment of
historical events.
Salmons’ vivid descriptions successfully depict the fear and
uncertainty Pompeians must have felt over the eruption of Vesuvius. Craftily
written, this mystery is full of absorbing puzzles and characters. Even though
the main plot takes place in the present, history intertwines throughout,
creating a fascinating look at Pompeii and its people. -- Rebecca Roberts
AN OBSOLETE HONOR
Helena P. Schrader, iUniverse,
2008, $28.95, pb, 543pp, 9780595490882
Helena Schrader’s new novel An Obsolete Honor deals with a
dilemma of 20th century history that’s often easily forgotten by the general
public: the fact that many Germans in the late ‘30s weren’t Nazis, didn’t want
to be Nazis, and didn’t at all like the Nazis.
This alone would make Schrader’s novel noteworthy, but it’s got much
more to recommend it; this is a meaty, gripping, entirely impressive work of
historical fiction, full of observant (and surprisingly wry) prose and dialog
that rings true. Schrader has spent a great deal of time in Germany and
interviewed many survivors of World War II, and as a result, the book feels
effortlessly authentic in its details.
The plot centers on Philip Baron von Feldburg, an officer in the
German army who intensely dislikes the changes he sees being ushered in by
Nazism. His younger brother Christian is star struck by the Reich’s early
military victories, and his sister Theresa confronts the domestic side of
National Socialism when she marries an up-and-coming party member. Philip feels
isolated in his discontents until he meets Alexandra Mollwitz, a General Staff
worker who shares his disillusionment. It’s predictable that the two would fall
in love, but it’s handled so winningly that the reader is only pleased.
Alexandra is the most remarkable and memorable character in An
Obsolete Honor, especially as she and Philip become involved in various
plots to assassinate Hitler and end the madness of the war. Actual historical
figures mix with fictional characters in the time-honored way of so many
historical novels, and Schrader’s portrayals are uniformly believable, even when
she’s writing about full-blown Nazi psychopaths. Readers will, of course, be
prepared for several less-than-happy endings, but hope also survives. This novel
is enthusiastically recommended. -- Steve Donoghue
THE KING AND MRS.
SIMPSON
Erin Frances Schulz, WS Beetle &
Company, 2008, $13.95, pb, 142pp, 9780979178306
Though the title may suggest otherwise, the story of Wallis Simpson
and Edward VIII is no storybook romance. Wallis had been unlucky in her young
life, marrying and divorcing a violent alcoholic early in adulthood. Her second
marriage, which could only be considered a success for a young divorcee in the
1920s, was to an also-divorced wealthy British shipping magnate. Though content,
settling into a state of marital bliss was not in the cards for Wallis. She was
yet to make her mark on the world, which she did by catching the eye of the heir
to England’s throne, Edward VIII, and scandalizing British society in the
process. Edward VIII was forced to choose between his married American divorcee
and the crown, while England teetered on the brink of political upheaval. The
romance, and the ensuing scandal, set the tone for a period of turmoil unlike
the world had ever seen.
It should be noted that The King and Mrs. Simpson is not a work
of historical fiction. It is referred to by the publisher as a “beach history”
and is meant to be taken as light historical writing. Though the writer succeeds
in simplifying historical writing for the average reader, at times the text
reads like a shrunken history thesis. Dates, while important in a history text,
are a bit jarring in this novella-sized book, and lengthy descriptions of world
events, such as the assassination of the Archduke, do not seem to fit within the
context of the story.
The account of these two individuals, moved beyond rank and propriety
to find lasting love, is a moving one, but its treatment as historical fact
rather than romantic tale keeps the reader at arm’s length. -- Amy Thompson
THINGS WORTH FIGHTING
FOR: A Novel about Freedom, Love and Texas
Frederick West, Cornucopia, 2008,
$34.95, hb, 652pp, 9780981717401
In Frederick West’s debut novel, the story of young James Thomas and
his family intertwines with the story of the nascent Republic of Texas. The
Thomas family moves there from Kentucky, and West uses James as an everyman
reader stand-in through whom we meet many of the great names from the Lone Star
State’s history (Colonel Travis, Sam Houston, Jim Bowie, and Davy Crockett all
get ample space to strut and speechify) and see a great many of its epic
formative battles, including the famous last stand at the Alamo and the largely
forgotten slaughter of Texan prisoners by the Mexicans at Goliad.
This is a long book, but it never feels like one, as West’s engaging,
assured prose style pulls the many strands of his story steadily forward to
conclusions the reader will already know: the Mexicans under General Santa Ana
(a delightfully hissable villain—he steals every scene he’s in) overrun the
Alamo, but the Texans eventually win their freedom from Mexico and establish
their short-lived republic. It’s a tribute to West’s abilities that nothing in
his novel feels like a foregone conclusion—characters grope along day to day,
not knowing how things will turn out. Once he lights out from his home (and the
love of his life, Betsy), James becomes a scout and a Texas Ranger and has many
adventures, and through them West is able to convey a wonderful and
well-researched sense of time and place. Although narrower in scope, this novel
is a worthy companion to Michener’s Texas. It is a rich, informative
reading experience, well recommended. -- Steve Donoghue
COMPANION TO OWLS
Tessa West, Fox Books, 2008, £7.99,
pb, 258pp, 9780954362720
In her third novel, Tessa West returns to the East Anglian
countryside, once again conjuring a story out of the landscape as she has so
successfully done before, in The Estuary and The Reed Flute. Companion
to Owls follows the lives of several generations of Huguenot families
working on the drainage of the Fens during the 17th century, and
particularly the impact on them of a group of Scottish prisoners of war sent to
the area as forced labor after the Battle of Dunbar in 1650. West’s book is
meticulously researched, interweaving fiction with contemporary documents which
chart the drainage work, counterpointing with great delicacy the conflict
between tradition and progress, nostalgia for the unspoiled landscape with the
excitement of the commercial possibilities opened up by the drainage.
The book moves at a gentle pace, following the rhythms of its
protagonists’ lives, observing their seasons, its chapters punctuated by their
daily prayers. The outside world rarely impinges on their remote existence in
what is, even today, an underpopulated wilderness. Great events such as the
death of Cromwell and the Restoration are reported almost in passing and only
through the characters’ speculations as to what it will mean for their own,
hermetic way of life. The drama is all enclosed in their unique watery spaces.
Companion to Owls is a story of clashing cultures and generational tensions, but also of
love and reconciliation and people who triumph over their personal adversities
the way the Fens ultimately find a balance between the manmade and what nature
intended. A delightful read, atmospheric and informative and peopled with a cast
of characters whose historical distance from us makes them no less real. --
Sarah Bower
CHILDREN'S AND YOUNG ADULT NOVELS
HOME-FRONT HEROES: Doing My Part
Teresa R Funke, Bailiwick Press, 2007, $6.95, pb, 141pp, 97819345649015
Fourteen-year-old Helen
Marshall lives in Illinois with her widowed mother and her grandparents. She is
determined to do her part for the war effort and so she takes a summer job in
the old Westclox factory which is now making timing devices for bombs instead of
clocks. Helen finds her summer full of problems. She has trouble with two of the
older women in the factory. Then she learns that the brother of her best friend
is going to run away, lie about his age and join up. He makes her promise not to
tell his parents. What should she do? Finally there is her reclusive neighbour
who had had a tragic life and who was born in Germany and still speaks little
English. Helen tries to help her and defend her against those who are suspicious
of her and even accuse her of being a spy.
This book gives a good
impression of the effects of the war on a small town. Helen and her friend have
to catch a crowded train at half past four in the morning to get to work. There
are the young men leaving to join the armed forces. And there is the first death
of a young man from the town. But the book ends with a description of a barn
dance showing that despite the war the townspeople can still enjoy themselves.
Apart from the war this
is also the story of a young girl growing up and it is told in the first person
by Helen. The novel comes with historical notes and is written in a simple style
which will be easy for young children to read. It gives a vivid picture of small
town America during the Second World War.
For ages 8 plus. -- Mary S. Moffat
HOME-FRONT HEROES: The No-No Boys
Teresa R. Funke, Bailiwick Press, 2008, $7.95, pb, 160pp, 9781934649039
1942. Fourteen-year-old
Tai Shimoda is living with his family in a Japanese internment camp in northern
California. Japanese children are brought up to respect and obey their parents
but now Tai hears his elder brother arguing with and even shouting at his
father. The main disagreement is about the loyalty questionnaire. One question
asks if the person signing is willing to serve in the U.S. Army and the next
question asks if you will swear allegiance only to the U.S. and give up loyalty
to any other country.
Tai’s brother Ben says he
is going to sign No to both these questions but his father wants him to sign
Yes. If Ben sticks to his convictions this could mean the family being split up.
The Yes-Yes people may be moved to a new camp. Also Tai’s father hopes to apply
for a sponsor to hire them to work in the unrestricted areas outside California.
The rift between Ben and his father deepens. Ben becomes friendly with some of
the other No-No boys who cause trouble and beat up one of the loyalists.
All this poses some deep
questions for Ben. Where do his loyalties lie? To his father? To his brother? To
America –– an America which has imprisoned them in this camp?
All is worked out against
the colder winter of northern California, the cramped living conditions of the
camp, the inadequacies of the camp hospital, and above all the patience of Tai’s
father. But there is a better side to the camp too. There are a school,
basketball and a judo tournament. The barracks may be ugly, but gardens have
been planted outside them.
This book clearly
illuminates a facet of the Second World War which is sometimes neglected. Comes
with historical notes. For ages 9 plus.
-- Mary S. Moffat
TWO ORPHANS, COLUMBUS, AND THE NEW WORLD
Pat MacDonald,
iUniverse, 2007, $13.95, pb, 174pp, 9780595465859
This book traces the
spiritual and religious development of two young men –– Rafael and Alex –– from
adolescence through to adulthood. This theme is worked out against the
background of the voyages of Christopher Columbus and the Spanish settlement of
the islands of the Caribbean.
Rafael is the son of the
king of an island in the Mediterranean. His parents are assassinated but he
manages to escape. He meets Alex and saves his life when there is a fire. They
travel to Lisbon where they eventually set up a map and chart shop. Then Rafael
sails to the New World with his young wife while Alex stays behind to study for
the priesthood. Some years later he joins Rafael in the Caribbean and they work
together to try to stop the abuse of the Indians by the Spaniards.
Rafael is very devout.
Whenever he is in danger he always prays. He also tries to remember and live by
the moral code which his father taught him.
This book is well written and it moves at a good pace. It is certainly an
exciting story. But unfortunately there are a number of anachronisms and
historical inaccuracies. Costume, for one thing. One character is referred to as
wearing a shirt and slacks and another has a sweater. Alex and Rafael have a
discussion session with two young ladies in the park after church. But at this
time Portuguese girls from good families would not have been allowed out of the
house without a chaperon. And near the end of the book Clarissa tells herself
that she can always get a job in a clinic or a hospital. On a Caribbean island
in the early 16th century?
The main theme of this
book is definitely a moral and religious one, but the historical inaccuracies
weaken the story. -- Mary S. Moffat
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