flat on the page

The Tubman Command by Elizabeth Cobbs
Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Genre: historical fiction
Review: Any student of Civil War-era history has some basic knowledge of Harriet Tubman, but perhaps not much beyond her role on the Underground Railroad.  If nothing else, this book will deepen the reader's understanding of her ongoing role in liberating slaves throughout the War itself.  Cobbs focuses on Tubman's actions as a scout for the Union Army at their camp in Beaufort, South Carolina.  Tubman, or "Moses", as she was known by the "contraband" freed slaves, both recruited other scouts and helped to organize the slaves on the nearby plantation so that they would be ready to move when the Army came to free them.

A good novel of historical fiction makes the past come alive in a way that non-fiction can't.  Unfortunately, I can't really say that Tubman leaps off the page in this book.  Rather, it reads more like a work of narrative non-fiction from a close third-person point of view.  However, readers interested in either the Civil War or Harriet Tubman will learn a lot from Cobbs's research and the information goes down very easily.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.

plus ca change

We Hope for Better Things by Erin Bartels
Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
Genre: fiction/historical fiction
Review: Reading this book is a little bit like viewing history through a kaleidoscope; as you turn the wheel, the colors shift slightly to make a different picture, but one that is made up of the same elements as the one before.  Bartels writes vividly across three storylines, each taking place in a different time.  The three time periods (1861-75, 1963-7, and modern time) blend and separate as each tell a story about racism and family.

Mary unwittingly and then wholeheartedly opens her home to escaping slaves during the Civil War.  Her granddaughter Nora must face the realities of racism when she falls in love with and marries a black photographer.  Elizabeth, Nora's great-niece, and an aspiring journalist, thinks she's found the story of a lifetime when she's given a camera to return to this aunt she's never met.  The story of each woman echoes the others as they search for the truth of themselves, their family, and its history.

Because there is a generation missing between Mary and Nora, and between Nora and Elizabeth, some of the past remains hidden, and Bartels avoids several opportunities to wrap everything up with a neat bow.  Usually, loose ends at the end of a book make me crazy, but Bartels demonstrates her gifts as a writer by making even this seem like a natural part of the story.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.

age discrepancy

The Ever-After Bird by Ann Rinaldi
Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
Genre: historical fiction
Challenge: A-Z (title)
Review: One of Rinaldi's better recent efforts. A somewhat transparent look at the evils of slavery, but a convincing one. My biggest problem about this book was that the main character, CeCe, was said to be 13-going-on-14, but was treated throughout the book at much younger. Especially when dealing with a time period when childhood was much shorter than we're accustomed to, it seemed odd that a girl of that age would be treated as needing so much protection. Other than that, the book seemed realistic and would definitely be good for middle school-age children to learn about slavery. And, of course, I loved all the references to Oberlin!