In A Northern Light Jennifer Donelly crafts an exciting historical fiction set in rural New York, Herkimer county to be exact, in the year 1906. The novel revolves around a 16 girl named Mathilde Gokey, who goes by Mattie. The book follows her struggle to go Barnard college, which was almost impossible for her to do. She is held back by her father and is stuck raisig her three sisters Abby, Lou, and Beth after the death of her mother. She is very intelligent and chooses one word out of the dictionary to use daily. Another obstacle she faces is her relationship with the extremely handsome Royal Loomis, who is not quite so intelligent and his only aspirations are to be a farmer like his father and Matties. He doesn't really listen to or respect Mattie and she later finds out that his interest in her is primarily because of his want to inherit a portion of her fathers land. He also tries to get a poor woman and her children evicted from their home just for the land. The poor woman is Emmie Hubbard and he detests her because she is having an affair with his married mother. In the end she leaves the ring Royal gave her and goes to college. Leaving behind her life in the north woods so she can get a good education and be independent. It is important to bring up her best friend Weaver, an African American boy. He too wants to go to college but his money is stolen by white folks. Most of all it is important to mention that all of this is set around the real-life murder of Grace Brown by her love Chester Gilette. This story adds inspiration and romance to Matties life and gives historical perspective.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
A Northern Light
In A Northern Light Jennifer Donelly crafts an exciting historical fiction set in rural New York, Herkimer county to be exact, in the year 1906. The novel revolves around a 16 girl named Mathilde Gokey, who goes by Mattie. The book follows her struggle to go Barnard college, which was almost impossible for her to do. She is held back by her father and is stuck raisig her three sisters Abby, Lou, and Beth after the death of her mother. She is very intelligent and chooses one word out of the dictionary to use daily. Another obstacle she faces is her relationship with the extremely handsome Royal Loomis, who is not quite so intelligent and his only aspirations are to be a farmer like his father and Matties. He doesn't really listen to or respect Mattie and she later finds out that his interest in her is primarily because of his want to inherit a portion of her fathers land. He also tries to get a poor woman and her children evicted from their home just for the land. The poor woman is Emmie Hubbard and he detests her because she is having an affair with his married mother. In the end she leaves the ring Royal gave her and goes to college. Leaving behind her life in the north woods so she can get a good education and be independent. It is important to bring up her best friend Weaver, an African American boy. He too wants to go to college but his money is stolen by white folks. Most of all it is important to mention that all of this is set around the real-life murder of Grace Brown by her love Chester Gilette. This story adds inspiration and romance to Matties life and gives historical perspective.
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I loved this book - it seems like such a simple storyline, but Donnelly paints the characters so realistically. I appreciate that Mattie's teacher demonstrates a feminist extreme, whereas Mattie's friend who marries early and has a child demonstrates a domestic extreme. Both of these are possibilities for Mattie and she seems to find a perfect balance for herself. ~Ms. K
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