In 1778 Rebecca Syng, the teenager who narrates this story, is sent to be a lady's maid in the Shippen household in Philadelphia. Becca's father had been a successful silversmith before he fell on hard times and then died, leaving his family to fend for themselves in the country. There Becca's mother married a good-for-nothing man who drained what was left of her meager resources so that she had to supplement their farm's income by sewing for the fine ladies of Philadelphia. Becca is sent to the Shippens to care for their beautiful and spoiled youngest daughter, Peggy, and at the same time to develop the polish that she would once have received in finishing school, which she can no longer afford to attend. Although the Revolution is raging (Becca's brother is fighting with General Washington), the Shippens entertain the British officers who occupy Philadelphia, attend their balls, and flirt with their soldiers. Peggy is especially flirtatious, and Becca observes as she falls for a handsome British officer and then, when the British are forced to leave, for the American dandy Benedict Arnold. Peggy marries Benedict and Becca watches in horror as Peggy convinces him to betray his country. Rinaldi (The Fifth of March, 1993, etc.) takes her role as a historical novelist seriously, to which her long and informative endnote attests. This tale of treachery comes alive under her pen. (Historical fiction. 12+)
Pub Date: Nov. 28, 1994
ISBN: 0-15-200880-2
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1994
When Death tells a story, you pay attention. Liesel Meminger is a young girl growing up outside of Munich in Nazi Germany, and Death tells her story as “an attempt—a flying jump of an attempt—to prove to me that you, and your human existence, are worth it.” When her foster father helps her learn to read and she discovers the power of words, Liesel begins stealing books from Nazi book burnings and the mayor’s wife’s library. As she becomes a better reader, she becomes a writer, writing a book about her life in such a miserable time. Liesel’s experiences move Death to say, “I am haunted by humans.” How could the human race be “so ugly and so glorious” at the same time? This big, expansive novel is a leisurely working out of fate, of seemingly chance encounters and events that ultimately touch, like dominoes as they collide. The writing is elegant, philosophical and moving. Even at its length, it’s a work to read slowly and savor. Beautiful and important. (Fiction. 12+)
Pub Date: March 14, 2006
ISBN: 0-375-83100-2
Page Count: 512
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2006
Certain to provoke controversy and difficult to see as a book for children, who could easily miss the painful point.
After Hitler appoints Bruno’s father commandant of Auschwitz, Bruno (nine) is unhappy with his new surroundings compared to the luxury of his home in Berlin.
The literal-minded Bruno, with amazingly little political and social awareness, never gains comprehension of the prisoners (all in “striped pajamas”) or the malignant nature of the death camp. He overcomes loneliness and isolation only when he discovers another boy, Shmuel, on the other side of the camp’s fence. For months, the two meet, becoming secret best friends even though they can never play together. Although Bruno’s family corrects him, he childishly calls the camp “Out-With” and the Fuhrer “Fury.” As a literary device, it could be said to be credibly rooted in Bruno’s consistent, guileless characterization, though it’s difficult to believe in reality. The tragic story’s point of view is unique: the corrosive effect of brutality on Nazi family life as seen through the eyes of a naïf. Some will believe that the fable form, in which the illogical may serve the objective of moral instruction, succeeds in Boyne’s narrative; others will believe it was the wrong choice.
Certain to provoke controversy and difficult to see as a book for children, who could easily miss the painful point. (Fiction. 12-14)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2006
ISBN: 0-385-75106-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: David Fickling/Random
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2006
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SEEN & HEARD
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