Module 14: Poetry and Story Collection
"Persecution is not American. It is not American to give power of life and death to a secret organization. It is not American to have our citizens judged by an invisible jury".
Witness, Karen Hesse
Book Summary:
Witness tells the story of the Klan's attempt to recruit members in a small town in Vermont in 1924. Leanora Sutter, a young black girl, feels isolated by racial prejudice and her mother's recent death. She is befriended by Esther Hirsh, a younger Jewish girl, whose innocence and natural optimism provides a sharp contrast to the other characters.
The Klan's hate-filled message of white supremacy is voiced by Merlin, a teenager, and Johnny Reeves, a minister in the town, who both become members. Other characters — the town constable and newspaper editor — try to walk a careful line of neutrality until they realize the importance of taking a stand. Over the course of many months, residents are affected in many ways by pressures that build in the community, leading up to a climactic moment of violence.
In the voices of 11 residents of the town, we experience this series of events from many different points of view, in the form of a poetic play in five acts. As the characters speak directly to the reader and relate the juxtaposition of acts of hate and love, violence and peace, terror and kindness, they illuminate the full range of human strengths and weaknesses in one small town.
Witness tells the story of the Klan's attempt to recruit members in a small town in Vermont in 1924. Leanora Sutter, a young black girl, feels isolated by racial prejudice and her mother's recent death. She is befriended by Esther Hirsh, a younger Jewish girl, whose innocence and natural optimism provides a sharp contrast to the other characters.The Klan's hate-filled message of white supremacy is voiced by Merlin, a teenager, and Johnny Reeves, a minister in the town, who both become members. Other characters — the town constable and newspaper editor — try to walk a careful line of neutrality until they realize the importance of taking a stand. Over the course of many months, residents are affected in many ways by pressures that build in the community, leading up to a climactic moment of violence.
In the voices of 11 residents of the town, we experience this series of events from many different points of view, in the form of a poetic play in five acts. As the characters speak directly to the reader and relate the juxtaposition of acts of hate and love, violence and peace, terror and kindness, they illuminate the full range of human strengths and weaknesses in one small town.
Reference: Hesse, K. (2001) Witness. New York, N.Y. Scholastic
Impressions:
Karen Hesse does it again by painting a picture of some of the problems in the early 21st century from that of a child's perspective, which in my opinion is often the truest sense of life. A very fast read, I read the whole thing in less than 2 hours, but no less impacting. The prose gave enough details without going into long allegories with lots of description. The story was not about the surroundings or what the people looked like, but what was happening in each of their minds and the changes they were going through as a town being infiltrated with poison from an outside world. A wealth of rich information and enough details to develop some of the characters. Another wonderful discovery to add to my personal collection.
A very intense and direct short story, like a piece of rich cheesecake, this book gets right to the point and fills you with a powerful feeling very quickly. I felt angered, frustrated, disappointed, sadness, and then hope, pride and relief all in a matter of two hours. A roller coaster of emotions for a topic that can still be seen in our world today. "Short stories should have clarity and directness of vision, with no wasted words, no throwaway sentences." (Bucher, 2014 Young Adult Literature)
Professional Review:
Award-winning author Karen Hesse's latest book covers a surprising series of events. It takes place in 1924, in Vermont, as the Ku Klux Klan begins to move into a quiet town. Didn't you know that the Klan was active in the North? Me neither. History books make it sound like a strictly southern force --- but as the real events on which Hesse based this book prove that it's just not so.
At first, the book looks as though it may be a play: each character is seen with their picture attached. But, in fact, the novel is written in verse. One 12-year-old character, Leanora Sutter, is the only black girl in the small town. She befriends an odd Jewish girl named Esther, even though Esther is half her age. Together they face the stream of prejudice spewed forth by the Klan.
Their small town is not used to the ways of the Klan. Many are drawn into it because of the friendship its members share; others honestly believe, for a short time, that the Klan is looking out for the best interests of the town. By the time people realize what it is about, hateful, violent acts begin happening late at night. Those who have joined are frightened. Those who opposed the Klan to begin with are terrified. Esther's father is shot at, and Mr. Sutter's friend is repeatedly threatened.
Hesse creates wonderful characters --- the creepy Reverend Reeves, sassy Iris Weaver, and most of all, Leanora and Esther. In WITNESS we see that even in the smallest town, people run the gamut of personalities: from almost evil to amazingly brave and good. The action and suspense kept me turning the pages.
As a big fan of Karen Hesse, I couldn't help but be troubled by one factor in this novel --- the voice of Esther. It seems too obviously to be based on the wonderful and little-known writings of Opal Whiteley. For someone who is normally as historically accurate as Karen Hesse, I was disappointed that she didn't take this opportunity to let readers know about Opal.
Still, WITNESS is a great read about a fascinating topic. If you want historical fiction about the Ku Klux Klan, read this. Karen Hesse doesn't cut corners on gritty and frightening details.
At first, the book looks as though it may be a play: each character is seen with their picture attached. But, in fact, the novel is written in verse. One 12-year-old character, Leanora Sutter, is the only black girl in the small town. She befriends an odd Jewish girl named Esther, even though Esther is half her age. Together they face the stream of prejudice spewed forth by the Klan.
Their small town is not used to the ways of the Klan. Many are drawn into it because of the friendship its members share; others honestly believe, for a short time, that the Klan is looking out for the best interests of the town. By the time people realize what it is about, hateful, violent acts begin happening late at night. Those who have joined are frightened. Those who opposed the Klan to begin with are terrified. Esther's father is shot at, and Mr. Sutter's friend is repeatedly threatened.
Hesse creates wonderful characters --- the creepy Reverend Reeves, sassy Iris Weaver, and most of all, Leanora and Esther. In WITNESS we see that even in the smallest town, people run the gamut of personalities: from almost evil to amazingly brave and good. The action and suspense kept me turning the pages.
As a big fan of Karen Hesse, I couldn't help but be troubled by one factor in this novel --- the voice of Esther. It seems too obviously to be based on the wonderful and little-known writings of Opal Whiteley. For someone who is normally as historically accurate as Karen Hesse, I was disappointed that she didn't take this opportunity to let readers know about Opal.
Still, WITNESS is a great read about a fascinating topic. If you want historical fiction about the Ku Klux Klan, read this. Karen Hesse doesn't cut corners on gritty and frightening details.
Torpie, K. (September 1, 2001). [Review of Witness by Karen Hesse] Teenreads. Retrieved from http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/witness
Library Uses:
This book could be spotlighted on a newsletter for historical fiction books that are based on real stories also showing some nonfiction books that support the research about the KKK and civil rights.
No comments:
Post a Comment