The Big Both Ways by John Straley-Taylor Piechocki

The Big Both Ways by John Straley is about a guy name Slip and his life during the depression. Since there were no jobs available for Slip he decided to hitchhike to look for jobs. He was somewhat uncomfortable doing this so instead he decided to walk. While he was walking he met a blonde woman named Ellie Hobbes. Slip was unaware that this little, blonde women would change his life. Ellie’s car broke down on the side of the road and Slip offered to help her fix her car. Since Slip helped Ellie fix her car she gave him a ride to Seattle where he was going. She made a stop at an old house and that’s when Slip found out she had a dead man in the back of her car. Ellie told Slip they had to make one more stop before she took him further. They drove to a cliff and there they pushed the car over with the dead man in the trunk, Ellie gave Slip a gun and papers and said don’t get caught with these and they went there separate ways. Slip and Ellie ended up meeting again on a boat that Slip was trying to escape on and that’s when Slip met her sister. Beth, Ellie's sister, both grew up in Idaho. They both have been through a really hard life. Ellie told Slip she was sorry she brought him into this, but he was the one who asked for a ride. Slip soon found out Ellie was a red union worker, which probably was bad news for Slip.These two got in a lot of trouble together killing Ben Avery, getting tangled up with the police and running away from a crime. As the story comes to and end a police officer makes a trip to see them. He tells them he isn't really a cop anymore, but what still like to know what happened.He asked Ellie why she agreed to get rid of David Kept's body. Ellie said she agreed because she needed the informant list. The cop also asked who killed Ben Avery and Slip told him everything was an accident and he wasn't supposed to shoot him. The cop believed his story because it matched the evidence. After the ex-cop figured out why and how these two did everything they all sat and talked and soon enough their lives would continue on as if nothing ever happened.

This book has many things related to the world. It talks about Hitler and him forbidding race, Amelia Earhart, pearl harbor and Roosevelt's social programs. All of these affected out world today. But the main thing that had an effect on our world today was the Great Depression in general. It allowed us to see how easily things could change from good to bad. It showed us that we needed to work and get systems down in order for our lives to continue on the way we wanted them to. Although people were struggling at this time it made them work hard, earn what they wanted and appreciate what they had. Those three things are something people forget about sometimes and we need to remember them. The new deal and great depression have an influence on the Obama administration with it's attempt to stimulate the economy.

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck - Georgie Doherty

The Grapes of Wrath starts out with the green and luscious fields of plants and crops. Then, almost suddenly, there was no more rain. The plants wilted and the crops browned. This was only the beginning of the Dust Bowl. The reader then meets a man named Joad. At first, he seems very mysterious and the reader is thirsting for more information about him. We finally learn that Joad is on a journey home from prison. On his journey home, he runs into an old friend, Reverend Jim Casy, sitting against a tree trunk. While they reminisce and talk about the things they have discovered in the last few years, we start to learn more and more about the main character Joad. Casy decided to travel to meet Joad’s family since he had wanted to see Joad’s father. When they arrive at the house, everything is gone. The people, their belongings, everything is gone. While sitting and wondering what has happened, they come upon one fellow who knows the family and he tells the two that the family has been living with Joad’s uncle. Joad and Casy then travel to Joad’s uncles home to greet his family. When they got there, the family was just getting ready to pack up and migrate to California. He gets reacquainted with his family and after awhile they get ready for the trip to California to find work. The book then goes on to show the hardships of migrating to find work, and how these people who migrated were treated. The people were no longer farmers. They were now “migrant workers”. Their most famous nickname, however, is “Okies”.

John Steinback uses a great deal of detail and imagery. In fact, in every other chapter, Steinbeck takes some time to forget dialogue for a moment, and describe what is going on. Sometimes he tells the reader exactly what he means, and other times he wants the reader to infer what he means by it. For instance, the book starts out describing things in great detail. Steinbeck describes things as small as the brown lines on corn leaves that widen with time because of how dry it is.

The point of view changes many times during the book. For the majority of the book, the narrator is speaking as an outsider talking about Joad and his family and their hardships. Then in between the chapters speaking about Joad, there are little chapter that describe what is going on outside of Joads life in great detail.

Steinbeck also uses symbolism in this book. For example, in chapter three, he describes a turtle in great detail. This turtle has its mind set on getting to where it wants to be, but is having a hard time. The turtle has to travel across the road, through traffic, and is nearly killed. This turtle is like Joad in a sense. Joad knows where he wants to be, but he is having a very hard time getting there. There are so many obstacles in his way.

In all, this book was very well written. The author had plenty of knowledge about history, of course, to be able to write this book. Not only did he take history into consideration when writing this, but he also used grammar and English very well. The dialogue was also very well written. He was able to put the accents and the way people spoke into words, and that is a skill that not very many people have. Steinbeck’s knowledge and skill made The Grapes of Wrath a must read.

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

This book took place during the great depression. It was the dust bowl through the eyes of a little girl. Her dad was very stubborn and would not leave the area he grew wheat and would try and try again to grow the plant even though the seeds just got swept away in the dust. Her mother played the piano and she wanted to follow in her mothers foot steps and learned to play the piano as well. One day there was a bucket of gas burning left next to the stove on accident. Her mother ran to get her father and Billie Joe the girl telling the story took the pale and chucked it out the back door not realizing that her mother was on her way back. She burned her mother so severely that they had to feed her water by getting a sponge wet and dripping the water into her mouth. Her mother was also pregnant and the time and they were all very nervous for the baby. When the mom went into birth she died in labor and her baby died shortly after its birth as well. After this tragedy happened it was very hard on Billie Joe and her father. Her father began to build a pond because her mother had always wanted one. Even though there was a huge dust storm that had been accruing for years her father kept digging the pond even though it could not be filled. This symbolized the dedication and hope that all these people had. he was so dedicated to build this pond for his wife that had passed away he built it in a dust storm in hope that some day it would be filled with water. Just like the people that stayed and lived there had hope for there land and were dedicated to there land so that some day they could farm it once again. Another symbol in the book was when Billie Joe left the dust bowl and lived with her aunt but decided to come back. This symbolizes how important family was, these people choose to live in the dust bowl just to be with there family because the quality of life around them and things was no where near as important as family. Another major symbol in the book was Louise she moved in with Billie Joe and her dad and brought there family back together. She symbolized the regain of faith, some people lost faith for a while but then found it again. Finally the biggest symbol in this book was the dust. Everything they had, ate, and lived in was covered in dust. The dust was a very unfortunate thing and brought a very hard life to many people however the people that lived threw this appreciated there family and things so much more than people do today. The dust symbolized that even in the worst of times a good thing can come out of it and in this situation it was the great appreciation for family, food, and things that these people had.

The Bluest Eye

The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison is about an 11 year old little girl named Pecola who is living with the MacTeer family at the end of the great depression. Pecola loves Shirley Temple, and the Little girls that she is living with because she thinks they are the most beautiful girls in the world because they are white girls with blonde hair and blue eyes. Pecola believes that because she is black she is ugly and she believes that the only people who are pretty are white people, so she prays every night that she will have blonde hair and blue eyes so she can be as beautiful as the girls she lives with. When pecola moves back in with her parents her live becomes harder, her mother is distant, and her dad drinks all the time. Her parents often beat eachother, and her Brother Sammy runs away all the time. All of these events push Pecola to wish that she had blonde hair and blue eyes so hat she would be happy and loved. When Pecola gets raped, and impregnated by her father her life goes down hill.

Morrison uses alot of imagery to make the theme of the story more dramatic. the theme of The bluset eye is the struggle of young black girls to get along in soceity. some symbols of this are Shirley Temple who Pecola idolizes and wants to be like her so that she is loved. Another symbol of this is the baby doll that is given to claudia that Pecola thinks is beautiful, and the beliefe that only white women are pretty.

Morrison also uses chatacterization to make the story more touching. she is very descriptive when talking about both the white girls and the black girls so that the reader can get a picture in their mind about the way that Pecola views the world, she uses this characterazation to make the reader feel pain for Pecola when everything is going on, the use of characterization in the blusest eye is to show the difference between the way black people are viewed, and the way black people view white people.

In an Instant by Lee and Bob Woodruff-Kristen Field

In an Instant is about a man named Bob Woodruff who is a news anchor for ABC News. He met his wife in college. He was studying to be a lawyer. He was much younger than his future wife Lee, and never even bothered to think twice about her. Quite a few years after college, Bob, by mere coincidence, net Lee at a restaurant, and from there, they started seeing each other. The summer after the coincidental meeting, Bob was offered a job in Beijing, China to teach English. He was torn between taking the job, and staying back with Lee. About two months before he went to China, he went on a vacation to Peru with a few of his friends. Lee stayed back at home, a little disappointed because she was sure he was going to propose to her before he left for Peru. However, when Lee went to pick Bob up from the airport after his Peru trip, he got on one knee in the middle of the airport, and asked her to marry him. Lee of course accepted the offer, had a "quickie wedding", as they called it, and later traveled to China with him and they lived there for a year. When they returned to the United States, Bob was having second thoughts about becoming a lawyer. He halfway considered working in journalism back when he was still in college, and decided to check it out once more, just for kicks. it turns out that ABC News was offering a position, and Bob quickly took it. He did not start out as a news anchor of course, but slowly worked his way up to being anchor. Along with going all over the country to report the news, Bob was also required to travel outside of America. Since the war in the Middle East between Iraq, Afghanistan and the United States was just starting to culminate, Iraq was one of the places Bob would travel to quite often. Bob would often go to Iraq just to report the latest news on what was going on overseas. He would go to Iraq, and never come home with a bump or a bruise. However, one time, he almost did not make it home. He was riding with a group of Iraqi and American soldiers who were working together to preserve the security of Iraq. They all rode on a tank together. Bob and his crew of sound technicians, camera-man, and other assistants. Bob, being the risk taker that he always had been, decided that he wanted to get some film from on top of the tank while it was moving. He was told that it probably was not a good idea since the noise from the tank would be so loud that the camera would not be able to hear anything but the noise from the tank. Bob decided that he would try it anyway, and at least get some footage without him narrating. So he and his camera man went above the tank with the other Iraqi soldier. Suddenly, in the middle of the tape, a huge explosion went off throwing Bob, his camera man, and the other Iraqi soldier off of the tank. The other ABC News employees were down below in the tank and remained uninjured. Bob had gotten numerous large and countless smaller shrapnel lodged into the left side of his back and head. He was seriously injured, along with the other two men. They all wore protective clothing, but it did not do justice in this case. The tank was much to close to the roadside bomb to protect them. Bob and the other men were rushed to a make-shift hospital at an army base. They were in extremely rough condition, and doctors were thinking that Bob especially would not make it. Their families were contacted immediately. Lee Woodruff was in Orlando with their four young children on a family vacation (minus Bob). Bob was flown as safely but quickly as possible to a hospital in Germany where he could get better medical care. Lee went with few family members to Germany to see Bob. When she saw him for the first time after his accident, she was absolutely horrified. She cold not believe her eyes. To her, and everyone else, it looked like Bob should not even be breathing. He was unconscious at the time, and non responsive. The doctors in Germany however, believed that he would survive the injury with little brain damage. They did say that it would probably take years if he was able to fully recover. Bob would undergo countless surgeries before he was able to regain consciousness, and even more to begin the reconstruction of his back, neck and head. Miraculously, Bob's eyesight was unchanged because the shrapnel missed his eye by the smallest measurement. Bob's brain was also unaffected by the luckiest coincidence. His brain was untouched by the shrapnel as well. Lee and Bob would credit their faith in God for this miracle. It was indeed years before Bob was back to his normal physical health, and today he still has little side effects from his incredible disaster.
There was a lot of symbolism in this book, that was mostly displayed by Lee. When she first found out about her husbands incident in Iraq, she kept saying that her "general" came out. Obviously a general didn't literally come out of her, but to her, she needed to get organized, stay firm, strong, and take control before she lost it in front of her kids. She started making plans for her to fly home from Orlando, plans for people to watch the kids, plans for her to fly to Germany to see her bed-ridden husband, and many more small seemingly insignificant plans. She took control fast, and like it was something she was used to doing since the day she was born. Just like that of a general. Another symbol that was given by Lee was that she would always make a reference to putting her "face" on. To most women, this means that they are going into the bathroom to put makeup on. But to Lee, this meant that she needed to put on a strong, and happy face for both Bob, and for the rest of the world. There were news cameras all over the place in Germany and throughout the whole process of Bob recovering from his disaster that tried to interview Lee, Bob, and their whole family, and even neighborhood, that would inquire about an interview. Sometimes they would accept, but usually not. However, when they would accept, Lee would often speak with a confident tone to remind others that she believed that Bob would be just fine. She also admits to doing this for the betterment of her four young children, and for her own sanity. A symbol that both Lee and Bob share throughout the story is their love and devotion to one another. They believed that when those two things mixed together would be the best recipe for Bob's healing. They figured this out before Bob had even regained the ability to communicate. The trait that they shared symbolized the amount of love that they had for each other meant that they should always be together. This journey of love and devotion between the couple essentially made their marriage stronger, despite the weaknesses they both had to suffer.

The Grapes of Wrath

The book begins with a long narrative by John Steinbeck, the author, with the famous opening lines of "To the red country and part of the gray country of Oklahoma, the last rains came gently, and they did not cut the scarred earth..." It takes place in Oklahoma in the midst of the Dust Bowl. The main character, Tom Joad, is released after four years in prison on parole. On his way home, he realizes what kind of shape the town is in, and has to hitch a ride from a trucker in town. After the trucker drops him off, Tom runs into his old preacher, Jim Casey. After talking, Tom realizes that Casey is different now, having given up preaching, and deciding to just "love people." Joad invites Jim to come home with him and eat, and the two men leave on their way. Every other chapter, there is usually a narrative with awesome uses of imagery and symbolism by John Steinbeck, which describes the coming up chapter. On Tom's way home, there's a turtle trying to cross the road. One woman driving see the helpless turtle and swerves out of the way, on the side of the road to avoid it. The turtle continues. Another trucker comes by and intentionally tries to run over the turtle, and succeeds in knocking it off the road. The turtle, beginning it's long journey across the road is picked up by Tom and he carries it to his house. This is very symbolic of the whole story, and Tom's part in it. When Tom and Casey arrive at his house, they realize that it is empty, there is a crushed-in side of the house, and cotton is growing everywhere it could be planted. Tom runs into an old friend, Muley, who explains the situation to the two men. Because of the Dust Bowl, many banks have foreclosed on the farms and force families off of their land. To make money, the banks are planting cotton, which all the farmers know will ruin the soil. The Joads had been kicked off a few weeks ago, and went to live with Tom's uncle, eight miles away. Tom, Muley, and Casey spend the night on the abandoned farm. Tom learns that Muley's family was kicked off their land also, but he refuses to leave, living off of the land and jack rabbits, he hides from the banks. Casey and Tom head to his Uncle's house and arrive by the morning. The entire family is surprised to see Tom there, considering he was supposed to be in prison for seven years for killing a man. He tells them he's on parole, and they let him out early. The family eats, and informs Tom that they are leaving in a few days for California, where there is promise of work and pretty white houses surrounded by orange trees. Al, Tom's brother, takes charge of the car, and they begin to pack up. Although Tom is on parole, he technically cannot leave the state, and holds off on telling that to his family. The family leaves, and when they stop for gas after awhile, they pull over. While they're getting gas, the dog gets run over. At another stop they make, the Grampa dies from a stroke, and a couple the Joads have met up with help them bury him. With a "fartin'" car, and many other troubles, the two families both go together, to their promised land of California. An important thing to note is that Grampa constantly talked about wanting to eat grapes from California, and how he would let the juice drip off his face. While in the car, the daughter, Rose of Sharon, who is also pregnant, reveals to her mother that she and her husband want to live in a town with the baby, and not live on a farm again.

Pa Joad talks with a man while they are migrating about jobs in California and finds out that the man's entire family died of starvation and that there are no open jobs in California. Pa, doubting this to be true, continues on with the family. Noah, another one of Tom's brothers, decides to stay behind, claiming his parents don't really love him, and leaves the family. After the grampa died, Granma now is sick also. She has hallucinations and sleeps on a mattress most of the time. Police also come and tell the Joads that they have to leave, and can't sleep there. The Joads are forced to leave the couple they helped behind, due to the wife's ill health. The police pull them over to do an agricultural exam on the car, while Ma Joad begs the police to let them go get medical attention for the Granma. Afterwards, they find that Granma is dead, and Ma lays with her in the back of the truck. Lacking the money to pay for a burial, the Joads are forced to leave Granma at a Coroner's office, and continue on their journey.

After being warned many times by returning migrants, the ideas of California life begin to cloud with doubt in the Joads' minds, as the family falls apart. They meet back at a Hooverville, full of starving people, and learn how things really are in California. Without any jobs, Tom asks why there aren't any people rebelling against the farmers, and is told that he could become blacklisted.

A farmer comes to the Hooverville looking for workers, and a man demands that the farmer give the families contracts and certain wages. The police are called, for a bogus charge, and shoot the man, and hurt a woman. Tom joins in the scuffle and hits a policeman to stop him, and Casey knocks him unconscious. The police arrest Casey and he is sent to prison. The sheriff declares that the Hooverville is going to be burned down. Uncle John, who believes his wife's death of appendicitis is his fault, is upset that Casey dies, and insists the family give him money for alcohol. After he leaves, the men wonder where Connie, Rose of Sharon's husband is, and some say they saw him walking south by the river. To keep out of trouble the family must continue on, and Tom has to knock his Uncle out to get him to come along, and they head for work. The Joads are turned down by some organized farmers with shotguns, are told to leave, and called "Oakies." Large property owners are afraid of the Oakies, and try to put them in their place. They also run the smaller farms out of business, making people unable to provide for their families.

Tom comes across a migrant-run camp where there are no police officers, and it is kept clean. The family moves there and tries to find work. We learn about the Farmer's Association that tries enforcing a minimum wage of 25 cents, and the man that tries to hire Tom tells him about it. Meanwhile, in the camp Rose of Sharon is told by a lady that she needs to be aware of the dancing at the camps, and that babies of sinners are born dead and bloody. Also, to escape the downs of a migrant life, the camp plays music and when they have money, buys alcohol, so that they can distract themselves from the lifestyle they are living. Many preachers give sermons that move people to grovel on the ground, and mass baptisms, which helps the migrants find escape.

The grapes of wrath begins to have an even more symbolic meaning, when the author talks about the vineyards of small farmers going bad and them being angry at the bigger producers. The Joads find work at a peach farm, and head out to work there. When they arrive, they find that they will only get paid 5 cents per crate of peaches, and end up making a dollar in a day. Tom sneaks into the peach orchard and comes across Jim Casey in a tent. Casey explains how prison was and that the farmers cut the wages to 2.5 cents, and that the people went on strike. Tom and Jim are caught by police, and one policeman recognizes Casey, calls him a communist, and ends up killing him. Tom is so mad, he kills the policeman that killed Jim, and runs off with a few bruises. The family decides to leave again and find work on a cotton farm and Tom has to hide from the police because his injuries would bring up questions. The Joads find good work on this farm, however they have to buy their own picking bags, and are cheated by the farmer's weighted scales.

The family makes enough money, and are able to live in a boxcar sharing it with the Wainwrights. One of the younger Wainwrights gets into an argument with Ruthie, a young Joad, and Ruthie reveals that Tom has killed to men. Ma Joad runs to tell him that his cover is blown and Tom tells her that he's going to organize the people like Casey. He wants to be part of "the big soul." Al, Tom's brother, also announces to the 2 families, that he and one of the Wainwright girls are getting married.

After days of rain and no work, Rose of Sharon goes into labor. Everything is beginning to flood, and her she is giving birth. Sadly she gives birth to a stillborn baby, and Uncle John is sent into the rain to bury it. After another day of non-stop rain, the family is forced to seek dry land, and comes across a barn. Inside the barn is a little boy and his father. The boy explains to them that his father is starving and needs food. Ma Joad and Rose of Sharon look at eachother, as Rose of Sharon makes everyone leave, and despite the man's protests feeds him her breast milk.

Throughout this entire book, Steinbeck uses a lot of symbolism and irony. He uses symbolism in the chapters of narration. For example, with the turtle. The lady that swerves out of the way could be the people not helping the migrants, but not trying to hurt them either, maybe the police. Also, the trucker represents the corporations and bigger farmers that are kicking out the little farms and migrants, intentionally hurting them by giving them smaller wages. He also uses a lot of irony in the book. The first lines begin with "the last rains came gently, and did not cut the scarred earth..." There was a HUGE drought and famine, people were out of work, and no one knew what to do. They hear about California and travel there, and the irony is, is that the end finishes with a flood. This whole journey has brought the Joads nothing but separation and loss, and the only positive thing that happens is rain comes. He also used irony to represent Rose of Sharon, nursing someone to health with the milk for her stillborn baby. It fit so perfectly with Ma Joad's ideals of poor people are the only ones that will help. A poor person, Rose of Sharon, is needed to help the dying man. No one else could have because he wasn't able to eat solid food. Overall, Steinbeck used a lot of symbolism and irony throughout his book, and these are only a few examples.

Al Capone by Allyson Nemior

Al Capone is one of the most famous "American Criminals" of all time. His name is associated with violence, corruption, and wealth. Throughout this book it clarifies the myths about Al Capone and the truth. Not only does it clearly explain about Al Capone and his life experiences it also clarifies terms such as Organized Crime and Mafia which were extremely important words during the early 1900's when Al Capone himself was the most popular. Not only did the book tell about important people during this time period it also told about the corruption in the American society as well as about the whole Progressive Era. Because of the way of life that Al Capone chose he encountered many different obstacles with the law, but this never stopped him until he eventually reached his final years during a jail sentence.

Al Capone was born in 1899 to two immigrants as Alphonse Capone, born in Brooklyn. He had six brothers and sisters. Al Capone's hectic and crazy life started when he had a son, Albert Francis. During the next few years some very important things happened. The 18Th Amendment was passed. This amendment was The Prohibition Amendment that banded all manufacturing, sales, and transportation of alcohol. Also the Volstead Act took effect. In 1921 Capone moved to Chicago where he worked for a man named Johnny Torrio. While working for Torrio, Capone got into some trouble. He was arrested for a DWI, carrying a concealed weapon, and assault with an automobile, but the charges were dropped. Also a man named Joe Howard was killed allegedly by Al Capone. Another man, Eddie Tancl, was killed presumably by the orders of Capone. After the murders Torrio went to jail for nine months and Capone took charge of the Organized Crime business, which included bootlegging, corruption, and murders. After nine months Torrio was released but wanted out of the business so he turned it over to Capone completely. Throughout the time Capone was in charge 5 more people were killed. Other members of different crime groups started to see the path that Capone was on and they tried to take his life in 1927, but failed. In 1929 a very historical event happened. The St. Valentine's Day Massacre was when 6 men were shot and killed allegedly by the orders of Al Capone. Al Capone was then arrested for carrying a concealed weapon and was sentenced to a year in jail. 1933 the Prohibition Amendment was repealed. After being sentenced to 11 years of prison for tax evasions he was transferred to Alcatraz Prison and then transferred to 3 different other prisons before his parole. During the times in jail Al Capone contracted syphilis. He was one of the very first people to ever be treated for syphilis with penicillin. January 25, 1947 Al Capone dies.

Al Capone's legend lives on for many different reasons. Ever since the death of Capone people have written books, articles, made movies and television shows about him. The reason that Al Capone is so interesting to so many people is because the stories just continue to be fabricated. No one knows the real truth about Al Capone and the crimes he all committed except Al Capone himself. Whenever the words Chicago, Prohibition, and the Roaring Twenties are mentioned Organized Crime and the Mafia are associated and with those two words the name Al Capone comes to mind. He is a legend that will never be forgotten.

Crossing the Wire Posted by Heather Tinus

Crossing the Wire




By Will Hobbs



This story is about a Mexican boy, Victor, who lives in Guanajuato and was born in Chiapas. His father died when he was a little boy so he became the man of the house. Victor works in the corn fields all day growing corn to sell so he can support his mom, little sister, and brother. One of his friends that also works in the fields with him tells him that he’s going across the border to the states with real American money to pay people to take him across safely, they call the money, “coyote money”. Victor can’t believe that his friend would ever consider it, he has heard many horror stories about people attempting to cross the boarder, but his friend assures him that he has enough money to pay off the coyote runners to take him across the boarder safely. Shortly after his friend left for the states, Victor finds out that the prices on the corn bottomed out and it was useless to even grow corn anymore. In order to keep his family from having to sell everything they own, Victor and his mother decide that the best thing is to try to get to the states before winter and send money back home. Unlike Rico, Victor’s friend, Victor had no money to pay the coyote runners to take him safely across the boarder, he was on his own. On his way, he comes across a church, so he goes in making his last prayers before taking off, and then he runs into the pastor who gives him some pesos to take the bus to the boarder. Unfortunately because Victor doesn’t look Mexican and more Guatemalan, he gets deported to Guatemala, but he escapes the group. He meets up with different people who have made several attempts to the states, or have even been in the states. Victor almost faces death jumping off a train near the boarder. Finally he meets a man, Miguel who was only 28 but has lived in the United States for awhile and got deported, he was making his way back, but he was badly abused by the boarder patrol, he walks slowly with a stick. He was smart and helped Victor get across, finally when they get across the boarder, with much hunger, he sees a familiar boy, and realizes it’s Rico! Rico’s big brother already has home in the states, so he was making his journey to his brother’s house in Arizona. Victor joins Rico on his journey to his brother’s house for work. Rico ends up calling his brother Reynaldo for help to Tucson, Reynaldo reaches a coyote to get them up to Tucson but it would cost them a lot, which Rico seemed fine with but Victor was worried because he knew it was starting to become colder and he didn’t have much more time until his family moved out of Guanajuato to a tourist town. Rico accidently agreed for him and Victor to become mules for Coyote runners (smuggling drugs). During their first smugglings they escape climbing the mountains. Finally they met a gabacho who drives around the desert to make sure no one is dying of thirst, he ends up agreeing to give them a ride to Tucson. The driver ends up ditching them at some gas station where they meet a man who knows Rico’s brother, where they find out that he was running a lot of coyote runners, and smuggling drugs up. They agree to not find Reynaldo and find work on their own. At the end of this story they both get jobs in Orchards picking grapes in the states.

American Hostage posted by Ali Dew

American Hostage: Book Talk


Written by Micah Garen and Marie-Helene Carleton

Millions of people around the world followed the story of an American hostage back when the United States first invaded Iraq. They didn’t know who he was or what his background consisted of; they didn’t know who his loved ones were. But behind all the press and the media attention, this innocent American journalist had a mission in life, he had a story, he had special loved ones that cared about him deeply. In American Hostage, Micah Garen depicts his love for journalism and most of all his love for his partner in life-- Marie-Helene Carleton. This riveting memoir dives into the underworld and corruption of Iraq that most do not even see or hear on the news , and shows that even the grimmest of situations something beautiful can come out of it and give such a optimistic outlook on life.

Micah Garen is an American journalist who has ventured to Iraq once again, with his partner in life Marie-Helene Carleton. This pair reports extensively on the lost culture of the once civilized country of Iraq, through the looting of excavation sites. Micah Garen is different though. What other foreigners see as foul, corrupt, shady, and precarious, Micah sees it as beautiful, optimistic, and rich with culture. His outlook and details about ordinary things, makes even the ugliest of things of this country seem magical and uplifting. His moving outlook of life, has gained the respect of many in the villages of Iraq. He had becomes exceedingly close with a translator and philosopher Amir Doshi, who later becomes a victim in captivity himself. Together this pair gives a perception on life that gives everyone around the world hope for anything.

The Iraqi markets are filled with Taliban leaders and an underground world of murder and hatred. This seeps through to Americans in particular. Through careful disguise and the respect and help of many, Micah blends in seamlessly with the Iraqi men. However, one day while out taking pictures of the gun markets in a village, Amir and Micah are bombarded by the underworld leaders of the Iraqi society. The only way out of death, it to follow a man who forcefully repeats that he can help them out of the frightening situation. Micah and Amir are completely blinded to the fact that they are being trapped in a ring of kidnappers. They did not realize that many weeks of uncertainty and trepidation were awaiting them the second that they step foot in the van of Iraqi men.

When Marie-Helene Carleton is rudely awakened to the telephone, she jolts out of bed, when she finds out that her life partner Micah is reported to be missing. Through her tremendous amount of connections, she gets the word out fast to journalist all over the world, about the love of her life who has become a hostage. Marie-Helene is full of angst and anxiety as she waits on the only thing that she knows will save Micah; time. The moments that her and Micah have had to spend apart during his captivity, has put a perspective on life and her feelings for Micah. You can hear the thoughts running through her head of every second that Micah still has not been found. But there is a different sort of connection between Marie-Helene and Micah. Her thoughts correspond to Micah’s effortlessly and it’s like they’re communicating telepathically. You can read into the emotions and the heartbreak that both of them are feeling when they are just battling the war against time to see if Micah will be brought to safety.

Amir and Micah have a strong bond- especially during their time of captivity. They show the true trust and dependency that people must have in order to succeed in life. Their friendship has deep roots of respect and loyalty. Their reflections about life are so in synch with each other, that they can share this great optimism about everything on Earth. This friendship depicts the foundation that people need to make it through life’s trials and tribulations. They fight through what has come to them and do it with dignity and respect to their kidnappers.

American Hostage looked to be like a thriller on the outside about the horrors of captivity in corrupt Iraq. Underneath the façade however, is a memoir depicting so much more than the situation that is dreaded by all journalist. This book gives an outlook on life that is so positive and full of hope. This within itself is what makes you want to keep reading for more. Readers around the world can share this new found anticipation for life and love. American Hostage is more than just a memoir about a journalist; it is a healthy look on culture placed in a not ideal setting. “Only those who dare to fail greatly, never achieve greatly.” -JFK

West of Kabul, East of New york by Tamim Ansary

This book is a biography of Tamim Ansary, an Afghan-American looking to reconnect with his afghan roots. Tamim's father was an Afghan who got the privilege of studying abroad in America where he met Tamim's mother, a shy Finnish-American girl who was also living at the University of Chicago. Tamim and his sister Rebecca were born in Kabul, Afghanistan, and because of their mother, they grew up speaking English instead of Farsi, eating with forks instead of fingers, and sleeping in beds instead of on mats. A few years later however, Tamim's father got a new job and the family moved to Lashkargah, where Tamim was first introduced to co-education, racism, and discrimination. After enduring name-calling, bullying, and overall rejection from his peers there, Tamim's family moved back to Kabul after another job change for his father. Later, during Tamim's high school years, he got application forms for CRMS (Colorado Rocky Mountain School) and after sending them off and receiving the acceptance letter, Tamim was off to America with his family traveling along to help him settle in, except they weren't planning on coming back. After his junior year at CRMS, Tamim's father was called back to Afghanistan and had the difficult decision of returning to the Ansary family compound or staying with his American family. He chose Afghanistan.

After high school and college, Tamim lived in a counterculture in Portland, an intimate community of closely interwoven networks of friends and lovers numbering around 200. A few years later, he began to move away from the counterculture and moved to San Francisco with dreams of being a writer. Once there and employed as an editor for a newspaper outfit called the Asia Foundation, he went looking for a similar communal living situation and found 1049 Valencia St. and Debby Krat. After living there for a while, he received a check in the mail and decided to use it to try and re-visit Afghanistan and the East. Before he went, he visited his mother in Maryland and met with his younger brother Riaz, who had just returned from Pakistan and had newly converted to Islam. Riaz's conversion was one of the reasons he wanted to go to the East, to find out about Islam. He traveled from Paris to Madrid to Algeciras before entering into the Middle East in Tangier, where he was swarmed by tour guides who were really just homeless men looking for a source of income. They told him about Abdullah, a "true muslim" who seemed like an extremist to him and was even worse in person, talking only of the harsh and negative side of Islam. After about a week, he traveled across Morocco to Oujda, a small town on the border of Morocco and Algeria. Unfortunately, getting to ALgeria was easier said than done because one had to walk from the Moroccan border to Oran, Algeria. On the train out of Oran, there was limited space so he stood between two of the cars with a group of Algerian soldiers who talked with him about Islam. He kept traveling and everywhere he went it was the same, Islamic and socialist countries with poverty and lots of "true muslims" eager to tell him all they knew about Islam. Finally, he decided to return to America where he married Debbie, left Riaz and his wife to themselves, connected with his Afghan cousins and friends, and decided that Islam was much too complicated for him.

I really liked this book because it was interesting to learn about his thoughts on Islam and what he thought of the situation in the East. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes reading about different cultures and ethnicities.

The Lost Symbol- Dan Brown

The Lost Symbol, released September 2009, is the third installment in the trilogy of religious/mystery/thrillers by Dan Brown, including the Da Vinci Code. It involves the same main character as the other two novels, Robert Langdon, Harvard University Symbologist.

The story begins when Robert Langdon is asked to speak at the National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol. Peter Solomon is Langdon's mentor and the head of the Smithsonian Istitute. When Robert Langdon arrives to speak at the Capitol, there is no one to listen to him, because the lecture invitation was just a trick to bring him there. Instead he hears screaming coming from a special room in the Capitol. He goes to investigate and finds the right hand of Peter Solomon mounted on a stick in the middle of the room, with special symbolic tatoos on each finger. Since Mr. Langdon is a symbologist, he recognizes it as the symbolic Hand of Mysteries, which points up to the Apotheosis of Washington, inside the Capitol dome. He analyzes the symbol tatoos on Solomon's severed hand and discovers that the kidnapper who cut of Solomon's hand and abducted him wants him to find the Masonic Pyramid, and more symbols on the hand actually point them down instead of up toward the dome as they had previously thought. This journey leads Langdon down to a seldom used and almost unknown room in the basement and find the Masonic Altar.

Meanwhile, Peter Solomon's sister Dr. Katherine Solomon, a Noetic scientist, is doing research in a secret laboratory her brother built. Peter knows of Katherines secret research, and is sworn to secrecy, but later after Peter is kidnapped, she learns that he shared some of the details of her research with Dr. Abbadon, who supposedly was working with Peter for psychological reasons.

As the story progresses, Langdon and Katherine are brought together in their journey to find Peter Solomon, discover the kidnapper, find the Masonic Pyramid, and mostly, to prevent a single insane man from revealing secret information that would destroy life as we know it.

The symbols in this book were not obscure at all, considering the main conflict IS symbols, which drives the complex plot. The Masonic Pyramid was a symbol, as well as each tatoo on Peter Solomon's hand and the ring he wears, which is the mark of the Freemason's highest honor.

This novel was extremely complicated and required major focus when reading in order to follow the plot's twists and turns and extreme detail. If a reader is able to follow the mystery and comprehend the symbols of the story, it would be a great read. I would reccomend this story only to a person who enjoys lengthy and complicated books with no real, satisfying resolution. If a reader enjoyed The DaVinci Code or Angels and Demons, they may enjoy this novel as well. It required some knowledge about the two preceding novels as well, to fully comprehend the vaule of the plot and Robert Langdon's thinking. I did not read the two other books but saw both movies, and I retained enough knowledge from those to be able to (somewhat) understand this novel.

Outside Valentine by Liza Ward- Karly Schultz

Outside Valentine, by Liza Ward, was written in 2004. This novel is based on the true story of the 1957 Starkweather murders committed by 19 year old Charlie Starkweather and his 14 year old girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate. Liza Ward, whose grandparents were killed in the spree, based the character of Lowell on her father.

Outside Valentine is told from the perspective of three different people; Caril Ann Fugate, a child Puggy, and Lowell. Caril Ann is a young girl who is taken over and captivated by love. She is so deeply in love with her boyfriend and killer, Charlie Starkweather that she’s just along for the ride during the murders. Puggy lives in the years after the murder. She lives a life of loneliness even as little girl, battling the divorce of her long married parents and not fitting in at school. Puggy is extremely fascinated by her neighbor, Lowell Bowman. The third narrator, told nineteen years after the murders, is Lowell whose parents were two of the many killed by the Starkweathers. Lowell’s regular life is clashing with the horrors of depression, loneliness, alcoholism, and divorce. Lowell’s family is desperately pleading for him to love them again. Ward’s ultimate purpose in Outside Valentine is to portray the horrors and aftermath of the bloody and shocking Starkweather murders of 1957 and to bring to life the effects that senseless violence has on many lives.

1957 is the year in which Caril Ann Fugate’s story is told from. Fugate was an outcast and an underachiever. She was deeply in love with fashion, always strutting in front of her mirror in her pink kimono embroidered with women dancing. She lived in a dysfunctional family where she was sexually and emotionally abused by her stepfather, but Fugate was always determined to stand her own ground and fend for herself. She was a very independent person. At home, Fugate refuses to repeat the eighth grade, but when she fails to listen to her stepfather and is threatened to death, she runs away to her tree house. That day in her tree house, she meets Charlie Starkweather. Love captivates these two and pulls them together. Caril thinks Charlie is the guy anyone would ask for; he drives her around in his fancy Packard and sneaks into her house late at night. But from that day on, everything will change, and people would always remember the name of Caril Ann Fugate. A major symbol in this narrative is Fugate’s pink kimono. It represents being free, and Fugate desperately wanted to flee her harsh family life. The dancing women represent freedom and the idea of decision making. Just as Fugate thought it was time to leave and live life as an independent teenager, her life is taken over by love and the idea that Fugate would do anything to make Charlie love her ever more.

1991 is the year in which Lowell Bowman’s story is told. Lowell is a middle-aged man who sells antiques for a living. Nineteen years ago his parents were murdered by the Starkweathers, and every since the tragic day Lowell dreams of a spot of blood slowly spreading until it takes over his whole life. With little income coming into the family, his marriage slowly falls apart throughout the novel, and day by day Lowell finds himself feeling emptier inside. Lowell’s children have a hard time communicating and understanding their father despite all that has passed through their family. Over the years, Lowell has become more dependent on alcohol, and this is another factor that leads the family to rip apart by the seams. After his parent’s death, Lowell finds a black box deposited in the bank with nothing in it. His wife continues to believe that Lowell knows what’s in the box, but is keeping it a secret. Through many obstacles, Lowell decides to leave his family arguing that internal struggle has taken over his life. A major symbol in this narrative is the empty black box. It symbolizes the idea of loneliness and the toll it takes on a family.

1962 is the year in which Puggy’s story is told from. Puggy is also struggling with the divorce of her parents and ‘blessed’ with the trouble of making friends. Puggy, however, does have one friend, Cora. Cora lives next door to the Bowman’s, and is devastated by the murder that happened so close to her own home. Unlike Cora, Puggy is fascinated with Lowell and with the Starkweathers. She keeps an old newspaper clipping from the Lincoln Journal Star in her dresser, frequently embedding the pictures and articles of the Starkweathers into her brain. Puggy plays detective, and every so often uses Cora as a way to spy on the man down the street, Lowell. One day, after coming home to empty house with no mother, Puggy turns to the newspaper clipping and wonders if anyone will ever love her the way Charlie loved Caril Ann. A major symbol in this narrative the empty house Puggy comes home to. Like Lowell, Puggy is questioning love instead of relying on love to help her through life. She turns to others who have lost someone forever for confidence and support.

Outside Valentine is a powerful story about the impact that violence has across generations as well as a story of people torn apart by tragedy, but ultimately transformed by love. This is a novel definitely worth reading.

Jazz by Toni Morrison

This story takes place during the roaring twenties, a time that was colorful, adventurous and dangerous all at once. The story is narrated by an unknown source, who observes the lives of Violet and Joe Trace. The story is disjointed, giving the barest details in the beginning of how Joe had an affair with a young girl named Dorcas. His affair ends with Dorcas' death and Violet's breaking down, and attempting to mutilate Dorcas at her funeral. The book continues telling the side of each person involved in the story, with each character explaining how they felt, and why they did what they did. The story also keeps flashing back and forth between what is happening, and what happened in the person's past. The telling of these events in this horribly beautiful city is as disjointed and confusing as Alice's adventures in Wonderland, but unlike Alice's tale, once you've read the book, there's a delicious moment of Aha! when you are finally able to put all the pieces together.

Really truly there is no hero or villain in this book. All the characters are guilty of something, be it infidelity, hate, madness, or ignorance. Joe is guilty of cheating on Violet, Violet is guilty of her hate towards Dorcas, and Dorcas is guilty of ignorance of herself. The conflict I suppose could be the loss of Violet and Joe's lost love. Of how they lost it by their own ignorance of themselves, and their longing for something more. Strangely enough this conflict is resolved by the unlikely source of Dorcas' best friend Felice, who tells them of Dorcas' stubbornness after she was shot by Joe, and let herself bleed to death.

I think the only real symbolism in this book was the city itself. In the beginning the narrator describes the beautiful city that the story takes place in. She describes the the beauty of the city, the brutality of it's people, their love, and the music that this book is named for. The city reflects the changes of moods of the characters, of how their personalities are complex, and terrible, and yet still beautiful. That's really the best I can describe it, to understand the poetry of it all, I guess you'd have to read the book yourself.

As I said before, this takes place in the 1920's, where Jazz and liquor ruled, and there were no rules. The story reflects the new morality by talking about the parties Dorcas goes to, and her attempt to be more stylish by shortening her skirt and letting down her hair. Jazz also takes a prominent place in the story, as Dorcas' aunt fears the wild new music that makes her force Dorcas to be more conservative, and ultimately pushing Dorcas to be rebellious and want to see the wild side of things. The book also briefly talks about slavery in the South, the difference between black and white lifestyles, and the forbidden love of interracial relationships.

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair- Published by Cody Larkin

The Jungle is a novel written by author Upton Sinclair. It was written and published in 1906. Sinclair wrote this novel to ultimately expose the horrid details and research he had concluded about the meatpacking industry and to also shine a light on the struggles of the working class.

The novel focuses on a Lithuanian man named Jurgis Rudkis who moves to the United States to achieve the American Dream. Jurgis and his family settle down in Chicago, which at the time was the center of the meatpacking industry. Jurgis and his family were forced to work strenuous hours in unbearable conditions at the local slaughterhouse. The workers were harshly under paid and barely received enough money to put food on the table. The meatpacking families began to realize the stomach-wrenching secrets of the meatpacking industry, including the packing of diseased cattle and hogs for public consumption. The sausages were made of various items such as dirt, animal bones and even poison.

Jurgis flees Chicago after his wife and newborn son die during childbirth. He eventually returns to the city with no money or personal belongings. He finds himself in jail and meets a man named Jack Duane who introduces him to the reality of America. One day while begging on the streets, Jurgis stumbles into a socialist meeting and is utterly intrigued. Jurgis becomes transfixed by the idea of socialism and receives a job at a local socialist-run hotel. By the end of the novel, Jurgis is a completely new man who supports his family and believes that the socialist party will overthrow Chicago.

This novel is strongly related to today’s world of labor. The Jungle is often referenced when speaking of the cleanliness and labor of today’s fast food restaurants. Many authors have created pieces to expose the world to the dangers of fast food restaurants just as Upton Sinclair had done in the 1900’s. Novels such as Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser and films such as Super Size Me by Morgan Spurlock have swept the nation and exposed them to the reality of the fast food industry.

The novel is also thought to be the birthplace of the journalism tactic called muckraking. Muckraking was a tactic used by journalists in the Progressive Era to expose the corruption of the government and industries. Upton Sinclair is one of the most well known Muckrakers. Muckraking is still used in today’s world of journalism.

"Summer of My German Soldier" by Bette Greene

Patty, a 12 year old Jewish girl, lives in a small town in Jenkinsville, Arkansas. Her life quickly changes when she meets a German prisoner of war named Anton. Despite the consequences she knows she will have if she has anything to do with Anton, Patty hides him and brings him food.

Patty’s life changes when a group of German prisoners of war arrive and are taken to the new prison camp just outside of town. The next day the soldiers are brought into town to purchase a hat to protect them from the hot sun. There are taken to Patty’s father’s store. Patty quickly ran into the store to help out. There was one prisoner who spoke English, his name was Anton. Anton started to have a conversation with Patty but then was told he must leave. A few days later, there was word that a German prisoner had escaped from camp. Patty soon found out that it was Anton who escaped. Patty decides to hide him in the upstairs of an old garage. She visited him and brought him food everyday. One night he told Patty that he is going to jump on the train and try and get away from here. As they’re saying their goodbyes, Anton slipped a gold ring into Patty’s hand and told her they will meet again someday. The police eventually find out that Patty was helping Anton and give her sever consequences.

This can relate to today because if someone truly loves someone they will do anything for them, even if they know their consequences could be sever. Patty knew that helping Anton could lead to nothing but bad, but she insisted on doing it anyways. It also relates to today’s society because there is still somewhat of a separation between different cultures.

The Devil in the White City by Eric Larson

This intriguing story follows the actions of one of the world’s most famous serial killers. It tells the horrors of Chicago in the 1890’s and how the famous World’s Fair came to change our country. The Devil in the White City follows the true story of two architects, Burnham and Olmsted, and their struggles to build a fair beyond anyone’s beliefs. The two men ran into many problems in the process. One of their buildings burnt down while others merely collapsed from extreme winds. As the World’s Fair was occurring, a man who went by the name H.H. Holmes was making his mark in Chicago; building his hotel which was later called the “Castel” and murdering numerous women.

The World’s Fair, also known as the Chicago Columbian Exposition, was to be held in celebration of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the United States. In 1889 France held a very successful World’s Fair in Paris that was highly known for building the Eiffel Tower. The United States wanted to make a fair that would greatly surpass that of France in order to prove America’s powerful place in the world. After deciding to hold the fair in Chicago, Daniel Burnham and Frederick Olmsted were appointed as the main designers for the fair. Burnham was the lead architect, building classic architectural pieces that events would be held in during the fair. Olmsted was in charge of designing the landscape for the fair.

The fair’s designers ran into troubles in the process of building. For many months there was a stretch of terrible weather that brought extremely high winds. These winds made it very difficult for workers to safely build the structures for the fair. Many times structures collapsed from too strong of winds. Several men were killed in these events. It took a long time to finish the construction of the buildings which then delayed the landscape project. With only three months to create the landscape, it was a miracle that Olmsted was able to finish on time and still have everything look the way it was planned. On May 1, 1893, the fair finally opened its doors to the public. Millions of people came to see the fair and its biggest attraction, the Ferris wheel. It was the first successful Ferris wheel, with thirty cars that carried a grand total of 2000 passengers. Although there were many road bumps in the process of building the fair it turned out to be a great success.

The fair drew people to Chicago from all over the country, including many curious independent women. For H. H. Holmes, this was exactly what he wanted. Holmes came to Chicago in search of a job. He discovered and old widow who owned a small pharmacy. Holmes happened to be a doctor and soon began working for the woman. Oddly, the old widow suddenly disappeared. Costumers would ask Holmes why she was away for so long and he would simply tell them she had decided to move to California.

Holmes eventually purchased a lot across the street from the pharmacy and began to build a hotel. A hotel would be very successful during the fair especially when it was so close to the fair grounds. It also pleased Holmes to think of all the beautiful women who would be drawn to the fair and need a place to stay. Many women came looking for careers in Chicago and Holmes was able to offer them jobs at the hotel or “Castle.” Women accepted jobs offers from Holmes in a heart beat. Holmes was not only an intelligent man, but he was also very attractive, with piercing blue eyes that lured in many women. Mysteriously, numerous women who entered the “Castle” were never seen again.

Holmes was eventually arrested for insurance fraud in 1894 which forced police to start looking into his background. They talked to the custodian at the “Castle” who informed them that he was never allowed to clean the upper floors. This led police to thoroughly investigate the “Castle.” They soon discovered Holmes had built secret chambers within the “Castle” that were completely sound proof and had gas lines leading to them. In the basement they found surgical tables and instruments along with a kiln that was hot enough to burn a human body. They learned that when Holmes murdered someone, many times he would perform autopsies on them and remove everything from their bones. He would then proceed to sell the skeletons to hospitals and medical schools for a profit. The police were able connect twenty-seven disappearances to Holmes which he eventually confessed to. The police believed he killed more than he confessed to, and they estimated the numbers were between twenty-seven and one hundred victims. After being convicted Holmes was executed at Moyamensing Prison. Soon after, the “Castle” mysteriously burned down.

Hattie Big Sky posted by Taylor Damrow

Not having parents or a real home growing up can be quit traumatic for a child. Hattie Brooks orphaned as a young child endures exactly just this throughout her childhood, living with her aunt and uncle in Iowa. Hattie’s uncle is kind to her, but her aunt makes living unbearable. She feels as if she needs to find herself and the real meaning of home and family. As a frustrated teenager, Hattie makes one of the biggest decisions in her life, to move onto her inherited homestead in Montana.


Hattie, at only the age of 16, she leaves her life in Iowa and her crush Charlie. Hattie is very excited about her new life as a homesteader and the adventures it will bring. Unfortunately Hattie soon discovers many of the difficult struggles she must endure. Hattie soon finds out that the great pressure in having to cultivate the land as well as constructing large amounts of fence for the homestead done within a year’s time. She braves the unpredictable and dangerous weather, as well as an ill-tempered cow and incapable hand at cooking.

Hattie and Charlie frequently write to one another while he is in France serving in the army. Hattie also writes some newspaper articles for a local newspaper portraying her hardships, while illustrating her lively personality. During Hattie’s struggles, she is supported by friendly German neighbors, but also feels the pressure to stay as a loyal American. Some local settlers are unkind to Hattie’s German friends, leaving her standing alone in supporting them and showing her true devotion to the friendship. These obstacles allow Hattie to find the real meaning of friendship, love, and most importantly her home.

Kirby Larson portrays the real meaning of home through a young girl who had never experienced this as a child. Today children that are orphaned like Hattie or whatever the circumstances, can relate to the basis of this plot. Hattie Big Sky can give hope to children, observing that home can be found throughout life in many unique ways. This book clearly demonstrating that hard work can pay off only if an individual overcomes and works through the struggles placed in front of them in life.