Spending time in another time ....

It feels as though I spent a good part of this holiday weekend in another century.  First, I read News of the World by Paulette Jiles which is set in 1870 Texas and I was absolutely immersed in the travels of Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd and Johanna Leonberger.  Captain Kidd, a veteran of three wars and an honorable and trustworthy man who took pride in entertaining and educating others, was asked to transport a young Kiowa captive back to her family. News of the World tells the story of their 400 mile sometimes harrowing adventure and of the growing affection between the Kep-dun and his 10 year-old charge. A former printer, Kidd supports himself as an itinerant reader of the news – a fascinating thought and profession in itself. Author Jiles clearly conveys the times through small details; referring briefly, for example, to the first professional baseball team (Cincinnati Red Stockings), the first female law college graduate and the construction of a new bridge between Manhattan and Brooklyn. She excels, however, in deftly describing life and characters on the trail. Add this title to your reading list: News of the World received starred reviews from Booklist and Kirkus and was nominated for the National Book Award for Fiction.

Turning to non-fiction and the 1899 kidnapping of two brothers, I began Truevine by Beth Macy, a true story of the Jim Crow South.  Truevine tells of the exploitation of two African American albinos, George and Willie Muse, in the “freak” show at Ringling Brothers Circus, offering a look at segregation and at circus life in the 1920’s. Similarly to The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Truevine also describes the author’s search for facts about the brothers and their mother’s attempts to find them. A non-fiction narrative, Truevine received starred reviews from Booklist and Kirkus, is appearing on several “best books” lists and may have appeal across the curriculum. Macy’s first full-length investigative work, Factory Man (2014), was a New York Times bestseller.     

Moving forward through the 20th century was a key theme in Fannie Flagg’s new feel good novel, The Whole Town’s Talking.  This story recounts the life of Elmwood Springs, Missouri from 1889 to present day through the many happenings involving several generations of its inhabitants.  First, there is Lordor Nordstrom who finds a mail order bride, Katrina. Later, his grandson, Gene, goes off to fight in WWII; there’s even a murder or two to investigate.  Award-winning author Fannie Flagg refers to numerous events and popular culture from 20th century America as she chronicles the ways in which many colorful characters impact the Sweet Clover Dairy, the town, and the cemetery called Still Meadows.  Here’s a favorite quote: “a cute, red-haired boy who looked just like someone had picked up a large bucket of freckles and thrown them at him.”  The Whole Town’s Talking, filled with Flagg’s vivid, homespun descriptions, will certainly make you smile.  Enjoy!

There Will Be Lies by Nick Lake

There Will be Lies by Nick Lake surprised me.  At first, I did not care for the mother-daughter characters, but I quickly came to empathize with them and did not want to see the book end. The Mom seems overbearing and stifling at the onset of the book and I kept wanting her 17 year old daughter, Shelby, to stand up for herself. The action and suspense really begins, though, when Shelby is hit by a car and begins to experience visions/dreams involving the trickster, Coyote, from Native American mythology.

Are the dreams some kind of portent? What does it all mean? Maybe the plot will seem evident to you, but I was constantly surprised at the twists and connections from Printz award winning author Nick Lake. Rather than spoil the surprises here, I strongly recommend reading There Will be Lies – a creative mix of fantasy and reality - and a page turner to enjoy.

Citizens Creek by Lalita Tademy

I was surprised at how much I learned and truly ended up enjoying this historical novel even though I did not have a direct personal connection. Spanning nearly all of the 19^th century, this novel describes the life – hardships and triumphs – of a black family whose lives are intertwined with the Creek Nation. Originally slaves of a Native American Creek chief, Cow Tom and his family become freedmen at the end of the Civil War and ultimately own their own ranch and cattle business. Their journey is a difficult one – due to prejudice, disease, poverty and personal betrayals.

Citizens Creek is really two stories in one: first, the story focuses on Cow Tom and his abilities as a translator which leads to some privileges and many dangers.  In that section, readers learn about historical events like the Seminole Wars, Removal Act, the Trail of Tears, and life at Fort Gibson after the Civil War.  Next, we follow his granddaughter, Rose, and learn about homesteading and the life in Indian Territory (later Oklahoma), and the grit and perseverance needed, especially for women. 

One concern I have is that although this novel is based on a real family who had some amazing accomplishments, there were seemingly unnecessary inaccuracies and Rose could have been more fully developed.  In fact, the last third of the book felt a bit rushed with a shift towards more personal issues and less about the broader trends and actions of the time.  There is much, however, in this novel which will relate to Junior Theme, with thought-provoking sections portraying how minorities and those who are different have been ostracized and poorly treated during America’s history. Like As Far As the Eye Can See, this title probes lesser known aspects of America's Western expansion. And the story continues: a much more recent infographic dealing with race relations was published recently by Christian Science Monitor.

Other titles by Lalita Tademy, a best-selling author and former vice-president of Sun Microsystems, are also multi-generational family sagas; they are set in the South and include Cane River and Red River.

As Far as the Eye Can See by Robert Bausch

I initially chose Far as the Eye Can See because I love the cover, I was looking for a “western” that might appeal to students for Junior Theme, and other reviews compared the narrator’s voice to characters created by Mark Twain. While I would still tend to recommend Pulitzer Prize winning Lonesome Dove by McMurtry as the western to read for Junior Theme, I will suggest that students consider Far as the Eye Can See. If they are willing to be patient, they will come to appreciate and look upon the narrator, former Union soldier Bobby Hale, with affection.

He travels for a spell with a wagon train, decides to live as a trapper for several years, and learns even more about himself after accidentally shooting a young, part Indian girl called Ink.  Hale has a unique perspective: "There ain't no use in thinking about the future too much because of what it does to what's going on here and now." For me, it took some time (at least a third of the book), to feel connected to the story and the characters and that may be too long for most students.  However, they will find rich themes (survival and self-discovery, war, genocide, race relations, even gender expectations) which they can relate to today.

Far as the Eye Can See by award-winning Robert Bausch has been named one of the best books of 2014 by Amazon Editors and received starred review from Kirkus.

Added November 30:  This year is the 150th anniversary of Sand Creek Massacre and numerous articles and reflections are being published by The Wall Street Journal "My Great-Great-Grandfather and an American Indian Tragedy", The Denver Post "Searching for Culpability 150 Years Later" and via PBS' website. Or this local production from Rocky Mountain PBS: