Archive for September, 2016
The Last Runaway Review
The Last Runaway
Author: Tracy Chevalier
The author follows Honor, a young Quaker women living in the early nineteenth century, as she leaves her English home to travel to America with her older sister to start a new life. Honor had decided to travel to America with her sister after the man she had been engaged to married another woman. The sister, Grace, was traveling to Ohio where she would marry a man she knew had who had emigrated to America earlier. After crossing the Atlantic and on the way to Ohio, Grace contacted Yellow Fever and died. As a result Honor found she was alone in a strange country. This set up the story which revolved around the Quaker family Grace intended to join in Ohio, other people she met there, and around the runaway slaves making their way through Ohio on the Underground Railroad.
The story explores human reactions generated by issues regarding runaway slaves and tensions within the Quaker community with regards to helping the runaways. The Quaker’s opposed slavery but there were dangers and consequences and not all Quaker’s were willing to accept the risks involved.
Adding to the stories strength is a accurate depiction of the environment and everyday life of the period. The books acknowledgements attested to the thoroughness of the research done in conjunction with the writing. The book’s account of milking by hand was one item that impressed me. I have some knowledge of the process of hand milking and the author, who had never had a close relation with a cow, provided an excellent description of the method and the satisfaction that can occur from the experience.
This is a story that deals with the nation’s struggle with the concept and practice of slavery, and also with the experience of life in America as it expanded to the western horizon. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in historical fiction.
Alfred Wellnitz Published Book and Short Story Information at:
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )The Great Trump Wall
The American or Trump Great Wall will never be built even if Trump wins the November 8, 2016 election. Even the United States is not stupid enough to believe building a physical wall, a tall wall that could not be climbed over or tunneled under, on our southern border would prevent people from entering the country illegally. Such an effort would be equivalent to building dozens of Hoover Dam’s and costing trillions of dollars. If you really want to build a more secure southern border you only need to improve and add to the technological infrastructure that already exists. Donald might prefer a masonry structure with his name emblazoned on it but it isn’t a solution to the problem it is intended to solve. It might serve as an attraction for tourist in 4016 AD when they tour remnants the Great Trump Wall, built by the greatest nation on earth when conned by the greatest huckster of all time.
Alfred Wellnitz Published Book and Short Story Information at:
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )
Alfred Wellnitz Books 