Bethany House
ISBN: 978-0764208317
Published June 2011
Trade Paperback, 400 pages
I let out a sigh of satisfaction and
contentment as I finished reading the last page of this book,
realizing that YA historical fiction is fast becoming one of my
favourite genres. I simply loved this beautiful book, enjoying it to
the point that I did not want it to end.
It takes place in Atlanta, Georgia in
1933 during the Depression. Seventeen year-old Mary Dobbs, daughter
of an itinerant preacher from Chicago, arrives poor but full of life
and religious zeal to live with her wealthy, generous aunt so she can
attend a prestigious school. Anne Perri, whose family suffers a
tragedy and great financial loss is befriended by Dobbs. Their
friendship and their consequent transformation as individuals is the
crux of this story, but there is so much more!
There are memorable characters in this
book, well-drawn out and believable. My favourite were Dobbs, Coolie, and Parthenia, the eight-year-old black servant girl. These girls had
spunk and were not afraid to speak their minds. From the first page,
the author easily kept my interest with a good set of characters, a
great plot and a setting she easily brought to life so that I could
see and feel the desperation of both the dirt-poor and the wealthy as
they dealt with the life-changing events of the Depression years.
Both Dobbs and Perri had to come to terms with what was important in
life versus what was desirable.
This book deals with various worthy
themes: faith in God, dealing with financial loss, grieving over the
loss of a close family member, sickness, friendships, forgiveness,
social status, and racial segregation.
As I was reading I couldn't help
thinking this story would make a good movie series for PBS's
Masterpiece. The setting was so interesting and I learned a few
things about the Depression years in Midwest and Southern US, such as
the Alms Houses, the Dust Bowl, and the traditions of high school
kids in the 1930s, like pop-calling (when boys popped in to see the
girls at their homes) and the splendour of their sorority dances.
Even though I didn't agree with the
frenetic preaching of the evangelists of the “Sawdust Trail” at
revival tent meetings, I did appreciate the wholesome goodness of
Dobbs' family and their zeal to help the poor and those in need of
faith-strengthening. The author managed to write a good story where the
characters had to find a balance in their lives because extremes (whether poor or wealthy) did
not lead to happiness, but rather faith in God led to true happiness.
This book is a clean read, and I
recommend it to teens and adults interested in a good book with teens in the 1930s. Many of the issues teens faced back
then are still relevant today. This is a truly enjoyable book that I
will pass on to my daughter as she gets older.
I will count this book toward the following challenges: YA Reading Challenge, Historical Fiction Challenge
Disclosure: Thanks to Jim Hart from Bethany House for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.
I ma glad to hear the story is as beautiful as the cover! This will be making a home on my wish list. I don't read much YA but lately I have enjoyed a few YA books. I wonder how many good reads I have dismissed because they are not my usual reads?
ReplyDeleteThis does sound nice. I'm making a note of it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
ReplyDeleteThis does sound marvelous! It's nice to see there are YA books out there that aren't paranormal.
ReplyDeleteOh, I just love the cover on this one and was surprised to read it is YA. Thanks for highlighting the book. Have a wonderful week and enjoy your new reads!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds fantastic! I've surprised myself in recent years by how much I enjoy YA and middle grade historical fiction. Will definitely keep this book in mind for myself and my daughter.
ReplyDelete