Tag: America

The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier (Adult Historical Fiction)

The Last Runaway

Tracy Chevalier (Adult Historical Fiction)

She had grown up with the understanding that slavery was wrong and must be opposed, but that had been all thoughts and words. Now she must actually do something though she did not yet know what.

Honor Bright left her family in Dorset, England to accompany her sister, Grace—set to marry a fellow Quaker—to America. It’s 1850 and the federal government is on the cusp of passing The Fugitive Slave Act, which would strengthen the rights of slave owners while threaten the rights of free blacks. Upon Honor’s arrival, tragedy forces her to solely navigate these new customs and laws…laws which conflict with her Quaker beliefs. When she befriends Belle Mills, a no-nonsense and generous milliner, and Mrs. Reed, a free black woman, Honor unwittingly becomes part of the Underground Railroad and will be forced to choose between her principles and her family.

This is the third book by Chevalier that I’ve read and her stories and characters never seem to disappoint. Alternating between third-person narration and first-person point-of-view through letters written by and to Honor, The Last Runaway is a thrilling story set in the harsh, untamed, yet beautiful backdrop of Ohio. Not only does Honor have to adjust to a new family and a harsh climate, she also has to navigate the unwanted attention from a would-be romantic interest, wariness from the locals, familial hostility, and a political environment that goes against everything she’s been taught. Rather than buckle under the weight of these challenges, Honor finds a way to acclimate and even discovers a unique way to protest and stand up for what she believes in.

Chevalier gives us several rich and multi-dimensional characters that keep the action and suspense going at a steady pace with a satisfying and unexpected climax at the end. The author provides necessary backstories so readers better understand her characters’ motivations to prevent false assumptions being made while allowing some amount of empathy to be extended to characters who might on the surface not deserve it.

Throughout the story, Honor is desperately searching for her place in the world…a “slot” in which her life was meant to fit. Bestselling author Robert G. Allen once wrote, “Everything you want is just outside your comfort zone.” Honor Bright abandoned her comfort zone by leaving her home, traveling across an ocean, braving blistering summers and unrelenting winters, learning to milk cows, and defying her family and community. By doing so, Honor did get everything she wanted and finally found a reason to stop running.

Rating: 5/5

* Book cover image attributed to: www.abebooks.com

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A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (YA Fantasy)

A Monster Calls  

Patrick Ness (YA Fantasy)

The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do.

At thirteen, Conor was too old for monsters. Monsters were for babies and bedwetters and Conor was neither; however, here he was—night after night reliving the same images that made him wake up screaming into the darkness. But one night, another monster came to visit. Not the one from his nightmare, but a different one. One that would tell him three stories and would then require Conor to tell him the fourth. But the fourth wouldn’t be a story. The fourth would be the truth…Conor’s truth. A truth that he’s been avoiding for a very, very long time.

Do NOT judge this book by either its cover or its title! A Monster Calls is not a horror story, but rather an intensely moving and intellectually provocative read that examines death, bullying, and growing isolation. Patrick Ness’s story (inspired by an idea by the late Siobhan Dowd) and Jim Kay’s beautiful and macabre illustrations allow A Monster Calls to leap off the page, reach inside your chest, and put a death grip on your heart. The action and emotions intensify as the story unfolds and reaches the ultimate crescendo when the reader realizes the truth behind the monster and the meaning of Conor’s nightmare. It’s a painful and agonizing revelation and you can’t help but cry out as our young protagonist finally comes to terms with the grim reality he’s been desperately avoiding and denying. It’s a master class in storytelling and a final work that Siobhan Dowd surely would have been immensely proud of.

On one of their encounters, the monster told Conor about the importance of stories: “They can be more important than anything. If they carry the truth.” There are countless stories about how children deal with trauma—especially when it involves a loved one—but Ness’s approach cuts to the very heart of the loneliness, fear, and helplessness they feel and how these feelings manifest themselves into monsters and darkness and voids that suck the very air from your lungs. It’s a dark and empty feeling that’s scary and cold, but Ness reminds us that truth can cut through the darkest of places; that acceptance can be a way out of the deepest abyss; and that forgiveness can open the way to healing and peace.      

Rating: 5/5

* Book cover image attributed to: www.amazon.com