by Gloria Whelan
I loved this book. I have to confess my 6th grader did not. If you have a child interested in historical fiction circa 1919, Africa, or England, she might enjoy this book. So far my daughter has shown little interest in books set before modern times.
It does start out a little heavy with a local outbreak of the Spanish influenza pandemic. The devastating results and the numbers of people who died during that time period are covered briefly. Then it gets personal when this 14 year old young woman is orphaned by the disease.
She is courageous and maintains her moral standards in challenging situations as she struggles to adjust to many rapid changes in her life. After the initial hardships at the beginning of the book, many good things happen to her and it is fascinating to watch her blossom into young adulthood in post World War I England.
It is interesting to see Africa from the point of view of doctor/missionaries during this time period as well. This is a story of a young woman making her dreams come true in the face of daunting challenges and with the help of loving, like-minded friends.
Rating: 2 stars
Age Level: 10-12
Language: No inappropriate language
Violence: Early in the book there are examples of sickness and injury as well as influenza. Death from the Spanish influenza also plays a key role in the beginning of the book. It is presented in a manner appropriate for this age, however.
Sexuality: None
Maturity level: A mature 5th grader, or average 6th grade would be the youngest I would give this book to. Any child with strong fears of parents' death might struggle with the beginning of this book.
No comments:
Post a Comment