A Northern Light
Registered by 
GoryDetails
of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 1/18/2018
This Book is Currently in the Wild!
GoryDetails of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 1/18/2018 This Book is Currently in the Wild!
1 journaler for this copy...
I got this good-condition hardcover from the charity-sale shelves at a local Hannaford's. It's described as being set "against the backdrop of the murder that inspired" Dreiser's An American Tragedy. Will see how this one goes...
Later: A very enjoyable coming-of-age tale, seamlessly woven into the events of the 1906 murder of Grace Brown (with some slight tweaks involving the custody of Grace's letters; the author notes the changes in an afterword). Most of the story deals with young Mattie Gokey, whose family has suffered severe losses of late; her mother's painful death by cancer has left her father even less communicative than before, and her brother's departure - without warning and with no hint of a reason - just makes things worse. She and her sisters have to help work the farm, putting dents into Mattie's school time, though she's an avid scholar with a love of literature and a desire to get further education (encouraged by her wise teacher - who turns out to have secrets of her own).
The story unfolds asynchronously, from the few weeks surrounding the murder back to Mattie's childhood; this lets us see the family in happier days, learn more about the various friends and neighbors (and some of the long-running feuds), and get a feel for just what Mattie's up against in her dreams of a literary future. Her longtime friendship with Weaver, who with his mother are the only black people in the community, forms a strong thread through the story - and in Mattie's life; indeed, her final decision about her own future is based strongly on her dreams on behalf of Weaver, who's shown her the pros and cons of taking a stand against overwhelming prejudice.
I liked the way the story balanced Mattie's desires, from her love of books to her devotion to her family - and including her dawning interest in the handsome neighbor boy who seems to be interested in her. She'll have to make some hard choices, and the letters of the dead Grace Brown - along with several troubling revelations about other relationships in the community - give her food for thought.
Later: A very enjoyable coming-of-age tale, seamlessly woven into the events of the 1906 murder of Grace Brown (with some slight tweaks involving the custody of Grace's letters; the author notes the changes in an afterword). Most of the story deals with young Mattie Gokey, whose family has suffered severe losses of late; her mother's painful death by cancer has left her father even less communicative than before, and her brother's departure - without warning and with no hint of a reason - just makes things worse. She and her sisters have to help work the farm, putting dents into Mattie's school time, though she's an avid scholar with a love of literature and a desire to get further education (encouraged by her wise teacher - who turns out to have secrets of her own).
The story unfolds asynchronously, from the few weeks surrounding the murder back to Mattie's childhood; this lets us see the family in happier days, learn more about the various friends and neighbors (and some of the long-running feuds), and get a feel for just what Mattie's up against in her dreams of a literary future. Her longtime friendship with Weaver, who with his mother are the only black people in the community, forms a strong thread through the story - and in Mattie's life; indeed, her final decision about her own future is based strongly on her dreams on behalf of Weaver, who's shown her the pros and cons of taking a stand against overwhelming prejudice.
I liked the way the story balanced Mattie's desires, from her love of books to her devotion to her family - and including her dawning interest in the handsome neighbor boy who seems to be interested in her. She'll have to make some hard choices, and the letters of the dead Grace Brown - along with several troubling revelations about other relationships in the community - give her food for thought.
Journal Entry 2 by GoryDetails at LFL - City Hall in Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Wednesday, March 13, 2019
GoryDetails at LFL - City Hall in Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Released 5 yrs ago (3/14/2019 UTC) at LFL - City Hall in Nashua, New Hampshire USA
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
I left this book in the Little Free Library; hope someone enjoys it![See other recent releases in NH here.]
*** Released for the 2019 Four Elements release challenge. ***
