The Wonder Of Charlie Anne The Wonder Of Charlie Anne (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
The Wonder of Charlie AnneBy Kiimberly Newton FuscoGenre: Historical Fiction It is the Great Depression, and Charlie Anne has suffered tremendous loss. There is no school for the children since the last teacher left their small town. Charlie Anne’s mama has gone to heaven, and her father has had to go up north with her brother, Thomas, to earn some money building roads and bridges in order to keep the family farm. Cousin Mirabel has come to help out on the farm, giving the children endless chores to do. And then, what does Cousin Mirabel do? Summon Aunt Eleanor to take Peter away, for a better life and a chance at schooling she says. Things are supposed to get worse, the news says, but Charlie Anne doesn’t know how any worse can happen. Will her life ever get any better? When a new girl comes to town with old Mr. Jolly, the farmer, and his new wife, Rosalyn, Charlie is thrilled! A new friend! Phoebe is smart, and sings like an angel, and she wants Charlie Anne for a friend too. However, Phoebe is different, and the town readily rejects her when they see her. When Rosalyn and Phoebe suggest a new school for the town, neighbors react with anger and some with violence. Can Charlie Anne help the townspeople to understand that they are wrong, and that people can heal? But First, Charlie Anne must heal, and perhaps, her mama’s larger-than-life memory can help her in more ways than she knows. I read this book over the course of two afternoons and it made me cry more than once. Charlie Anne is a young girl who has lost her mother, her father and brother have gone north to work, and she is left with her obnoxious cousin, Mirabel, and three of her siblings. The only places she finds comfort is with her cows and by the river, where her Mama is buried. She still hears her mother talking to her plainly and I love that this is never explained or explored in more detail - it just kind of is. Charlie Anne meets some new neighbors who end up changing what had been her very unhappy, lonely existence since her mother passed away.This book gives a very no-frills look into how families were impacted by the Great Depression and helps us all be a little more grateful for those that we love. It also deals masterfully with prejudice and how the power of friendship is an extraordinary catalyst for change.
What do You think about The Wonder Of Charlie Anne The Wonder Of Charlie Anne (2010)?
I was slow in the beginning turned into a really good read!
—jmo
