Author:
Donnelly, Jennifer
Title:
A Northern Light
Publisher & Date:
Harcourt, 2003
Recommended Age Range:
13 and up
Plot Summary:
Sixteen-year-old Mattie Gokey has a passion for words, writing, and for her handsome neighbor, Royal Loomis. It’s 1906. Mattie, who lives in the North Woods of upstate New York, is the oldest of three sisters and a brother. Mattie’s mother recently died of breast cancer and her brother has run away after a fight with her dad. Now it’s up to Mattie to handle all of the household duties and keep what’s left of the family together, as their father tries desperately to farm the uncooperative land their family has spent their little money on. Throughout the book, Mattie struggles to balance duty and responsibility to her family and fulfilling her own personal goals.
Interweaved throughout Mattie’s personal story is the real-life story of Grace Brown, whose drowned body was found on July 12, 1906, in Big Moose Lake. As the fictional Mattie reads Grace’s letters to her companion, Chester Gillette, she discovers as much about herself as she does about the circumstances leading to Grace’s death.
Reader Appeal:
Due to the time period this book covers and the mild way in which sexual situations are approached, this book would most likely appeal to fans of the Little House on the Prairie series, historical fiction or more conservative or prudish readers. The plot and character development in this book would also appeal to aspiring writers, those who have strict parents or those with heavy family obligations. It would not appeal to anyone looking for science-fiction, fantasy, or action.
Artistic Merit:
This book does a decent job of introducing readers to issues of race, poverty and feminism in the early 20th century. The real-life details of Grace Brown’s life and death are cleverly interweaved and provide ample motivation for Mattie’s ultimate decision to leave her family to attend Barnard College in New York City. The novel does seem like a realistic if somewhat sedate portrayal of a young woman growing up in 1906. I did find her slow reactions to Royal’s overzealous hands somewhat troubling and her interactions with her best friend Weaver somewhat unrealistc. The sources and suggestions for further reading are a good addition, although I am disappointed that the list lacks any books on growing up African American during that time period.
