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jgurniak's review against another edition
4.0
This is the only diary I have rated under 5 stars. I just found this one dull and I had a very hard time getting into it.
llama_lord's review against another edition
5.0
This was an unexpected favorite in the Dear America series that I only discovered during my revisit to the series as an adult. This is really one of the best pieces of children's historical fiction on the American Civil War I have read.
Our protagonist Amelia works with her father as a lighthouse keeper in Delaware, which was a "neutral" state during the Civil War (technically Delaware was a slave state that voted not to leave the Union with the Confederacy). The turmoil of the Civil War is painfully reflected in Amelia's home life, as her mother is pro-slavery and her father is pro-abolition. Things come to a head when, in their duty as lighthouse keepers, the family rescues a shipwrecked crew and realizes the survivors are slaves escaping to freedom. Amelia's father wants to allow them to continue journeying North in secrecy, whereas her mother thinks they need to turned in to authorities in the South. Amelia has to self reflect and discover what her own moral compass tells her is right, and navigate the complicated relationship between her parents.
I read a lot of Civil War fiction and non-fiction, and one phrase books on the subject love to say is "The Civil War ripped families apart - Brother fought against brother", which I'm sure it did to a lot of families living in the 1860s, however this is the first Civil War book I have read that actually features a family split down the middle.
This book really has it all the things I want in a Dear America book: a great protagonist with genuine and believable narration in their journal entries, a great storyline that incorporates the historical events in a way that feels organic, and a romantic subplot that is actually given enough time to progress naturally in the story and make me believe that the characters could feasibly end up together in the epilogue. I thought the way that it handled the Civil War history and the ethical divide in Amelia's family was so well done. I also loved Amelia's passion for her lighthouse keeping work. This book also has my second favorite Dear America romance (so far) which leads to one of my ALL-TIME most memorable Dear America scenes
Overall I highly recommend this one! It is definitely in my top tier in the Dear America series.
Our protagonist Amelia works with her father as a lighthouse keeper in Delaware, which was a "neutral" state during the Civil War (technically Delaware was a slave state that voted not to leave the Union with the Confederacy). The turmoil of the Civil War is painfully reflected in Amelia's home life, as her mother is pro-slavery and her father is pro-abolition. Things come to a head when, in their duty as lighthouse keepers, the family rescues a shipwrecked crew and realizes the survivors are slaves escaping to freedom. Amelia's father wants to allow them to continue journeying North in secrecy, whereas her mother thinks they need to turned in to authorities in the South. Amelia has to self reflect and discover what her own moral compass tells her is right, and navigate the complicated relationship between her parents.
I read a lot of Civil War fiction and non-fiction, and one phrase books on the subject love to say is "The Civil War ripped families apart - Brother fought against brother", which I'm sure it did to a lot of families living in the 1860s, however this is the first Civil War book I have read that actually features a family split down the middle.
This book really has it all the things I want in a Dear America book: a great protagonist with genuine and believable narration in their journal entries, a great storyline that incorporates the historical events in a way that feels organic, and a romantic subplot that is actually given enough time to progress naturally in the story and make me believe that the characters could feasibly end up together in the epilogue. I thought the way that it handled the Civil War history and the ethical divide in Amelia's family was so well done. I also loved Amelia's passion for her lighthouse keeping work. This book also has my second favorite Dear America romance (so far) which leads to one of my ALL-TIME most memorable Dear America scenes
Spoiler
where Amelia and her love interest Daniel sit together on the foggy shore and Daniel tells her he is enlisting in the Union and asks her to "wait for me", while they both share the unspoken understanding that he means he wants to propose to her if he doesn't die in the war. It's also the first time they really lay their feelings out for each other after a wonderfully written slow-burn, genuine friendship that blossoms into more. I was NOT expecting such an emotionally heavy and romantic scene from a children's book!Overall I highly recommend this one! It is definitely in my top tier in the Dear America series.
carolineinthelibrary's review against another edition
3.0
This is one of my least favorite Dear America books. I feel like most - if not all of the others - happen during a point of so much action in history. This book hardly talks about the history of the beginning of the Civil War. It's much more about family dynamics and hardships. The ending leaves so much to be desired and the epilogue is, quite frankly, pretty depressing. Considering how badly Amelia craved family, I had hoped for a better ending for her.
blogginboutbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoy the books in the Dear America series because they deliver short history lessons in an exciting, approachable, easy-to-read package. The diary format makes the books intimate and authentic. Because they're all written by different authors, some of the installments are better than others. On the whole, though, I really like this series for a lot of reasons.
A LIGHT IN THE STORM offers some interesting information about both lighthouse-keeping and living in a border state during the Civil War. I definitely learned things from it that I didn't know.
Our heroine, Wickie, is brave, admirable, loyal, and selfless - someone for whom it's easy to root. As for plot, the book doesn't really have one. It's more of a day-in-the-life glimpse at what it might have been like to be living in the time and place that Wickie does. Because of that, the conflicts she faces in the novel aren't resolved within its pages. While this makes the tale more realistic, it also gives it a sad, depressing vibe that may be too grim for young readers. Personally, I would have liked a less abrupt, happier ending.
All in all, then, I liked this book but didn't love it. I'd give it 3 1/2 stars if I could.
That being said, I found this book very sad, with conflicts that don't get resolved within its pages. While the situations are realistic, the tale may be too grim for some readers.
A LIGHT IN THE STORM offers some interesting information about both lighthouse-keeping and living in a border state during the Civil War. I definitely learned things from it that I didn't know.
Our heroine, Wickie, is brave, admirable, loyal, and selfless - someone for whom it's easy to root. As for plot, the book doesn't really have one. It's more of a day-in-the-life glimpse at what it might have been like to be living in the time and place that Wickie does. Because of that, the conflicts she faces in the novel aren't resolved within its pages. While this makes the tale more realistic, it also gives it a sad, depressing vibe that may be too grim for young readers. Personally, I would have liked a less abrupt, happier ending.
All in all, then, I liked this book but didn't love it. I'd give it 3 1/2 stars if I could.
That being said, I found this book very sad, with conflicts that don't get resolved within its pages. While the situations are realistic, the tale may be too grim for some readers.
gaderianne's review against another edition
2.0
The story was depressing (and not because the Civil War was raging - although partly because the mother and father were so divided over slavery). What was the most interesting to me was that the characters were based on real people. In the back, the author says what really happened to them, how she found out about the family, etc. Getting to the end and finding out that the entire book wasn't completely made up was a nice surprise!
trisha_thomas's review against another edition
3.0
so, I go to a book club with my daughter. I've been going with her to this book club since she was in 3rd grade, 8 years old.
She is now....almost 14. yeah, we've been doing this for a while.
This is our book this month. I would have never read this book if not for the book club. It's just not my type of book. But it wasn't too bad. I really enjoyed the journey entry type of style to the writing. I think it's a great way to teach some history and perspective to teens.
She is now....almost 14. yeah, we've been doing this for a while.
This is our book this month. I would have never read this book if not for the book club. It's just not my type of book. But it wasn't too bad. I really enjoyed the journey entry type of style to the writing. I think it's a great way to teach some history and perspective to teens.
zenithharpink's review against another edition
3.0
The most fascinating part of this book was about life at the lighthouse. The story itself was kinda dreary, though interesting with the Civil War details. I wish the epilogue was more thorough and uplifting, but Amelia's love for lighthouses was apparent throughout the story. Forgettable yet entertaining.
I recommend to fans of the series, or those interested in the lighthouse life.
I recommend to fans of the series, or those interested in the lighthouse life.
bellatap's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
A nice small story
amkago2008's review against another edition
3.0
I did not like this one as much as the other Dear America books. It kept my interest throughout but I did not like how it ended. I thought it had a very sad undertone through the whole book.
huncamuncamouse's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars? Rounded up because it started strong.
Another weird one to rate. Karen Hesse wrote one of my favorite childhood books, The Music of Dolphins, so I was looking forward to this one, even though it's yet another Civil War diary. However, it had a unique angle since Amelia's father is a lighthouse keeper and it quickly becomes clear that she is passionate about doing the same work. At the same time, she's struggling with a family divided over how they feel about slavery. This mirrors the same division sown within the state of Delaware, which was a border state filled with people whose opinions on the war varied. This book started really strong and just . . . petered out, which unfortunately has happened with several other diaries. I felt frustrated when I finished this, especially the epilogue. Why bother telling us that Daniel (the obligatory love interest) and Amelia marry but quickly separate without offering an explanation about why?
At the line level, this is one of the best written diaries in the group I've read so far, but unfortunately, the plot goes nowhere, and the side characters become increasingly flat as the book progresses when the opposite should be true.
Dead parent count: 0, but the mom is so annoying you'll wish she'd die
Another weird one to rate. Karen Hesse wrote one of my favorite childhood books, The Music of Dolphins, so I was looking forward to this one, even though it's yet another Civil War diary. However, it had a unique angle since Amelia's father is a lighthouse keeper and it quickly becomes clear that she is passionate about doing the same work. At the same time, she's struggling with a family divided over how they feel about slavery. This mirrors the same division sown within the state of Delaware, which was a border state filled with people whose opinions on the war varied. This book started really strong and just . . . petered out, which unfortunately has happened with several other diaries. I felt frustrated when I finished this, especially the epilogue. Why bother telling us that Daniel (the obligatory love interest) and Amelia marry but quickly separate without offering an explanation about why?
At the line level, this is one of the best written diaries in the group I've read so far, but unfortunately, the plot goes nowhere, and the side characters become increasingly flat as the book progresses when the opposite should be true.
Dead parent count: 0, but the mom is so annoying you'll wish she'd die