 |
b. July 27, 1753"
Mike Agosto and his family move from the wildfires and earthquakes of Northern California to the thick humidity and storm-prone green landscape of North Carolina. His father begins a job as history professor for UNC Greensboro, a profession that encourages Mike's own interests in US history. As Mike is about to enter the fifth grade, he befriends next door neighbor and schoolmate, Cora, and her dog Sweet Tea, who takes a liking to Mike's Siberian Husky, Hot Shot.
An afternoon search for Hot Shot in the midst of an impending hurricane unearths a piece of history: a pendant with the picture of a "mysterious brown-eyed maiden." We learn from the backstory woven into La Serna's novel that the maiden is Keziah, a millinery shop owner in colonial New Bern whose husband—backwoodsman, Mathias Mullen—is missinsing after years of fighting with the North Carolina Second Regiment. Simultaneously, as Mike, Cora and fellow classmates learn about the Revolutionary War, they incidentally encounter Mathias's ghost, and the discovery of a canteen brings together the long lost connection with the pendant and a whole new understanding of love and war.
Winner of the Eric Hoffer Award, this is a terrific tale that's accessible and enjoyable, especially to younger readers just learning about US history. Native North Carolinians will no doubt appreciate Cora's southern charm, the local historical landmarks, and Mike's humorous first-hand discoveries of southern culture and foods. While we never really get to the heart of Mathias and Keziah's story, which leaves the novel's ending feeling a bit incomplete, La Serna crafts together a well-written novel with a healthy dose of history that keeps us entertained. Accompanied by Korah Guilar's beautiful pencil art, this makes for a great history lesson for readers both young and old.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review