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A Light in the Storm: The Civil War Diary of Amelia Martin - Hardcover

Book 10 of 56: Dear America

Hesse, Karen

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9780590567336: A Light in the Storm: The Civil War Diary of Amelia Martin

Synopsis

In 1861, Amelia Martin's father is stripped of his post as a ship's captain when he is caught harboring the leader of a slave rebellion. Now he is an assistant lighthouse keeper on Fenwick Island, off the coast of Delaware-a state wedged between the North and the South, just as Amelia is wedged between her constantly arguing parents. Amelia's mother blames her abolitionist husband for their living conditions, which she claims are taking a toll on her health. As the Civil War rages on, Amelia slowly learns that she cannot stop the fighting, but by keeping watch in the lighthouse each day, lighting the lamps, cleaning the glass, and rescuing victims of Atlantic storms, she can make a difference.

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About the Author

Karen Hesse is the award-winning and critically acclaimed author of many books for children. Her titles include the Newbery Medal winner Out of the Dust, Witness, and The Cats in Krasinski Square, among many others. She lives in Vermont with her husband and two teenaged daughters.

Reviews

Grade 4-8-This diary chronicles 15-year-old Amelia Martin's chaotic life during the turbulent first year of the Civil War. Amelia's father is the assistant lighthouse keeper at Fenwick Island off the coast of southern Delaware. Amelia willingly shares in the duties of standing watch and maintaining the equipment. Through her diary, readers learn that her father sides with the Union while her mother favors the Confederacy, and that their marriage is crumbling just as the country threatens to divide. Amelia admits that while at one time she agreed with her mother's views, she now believes in the abolition of slavery and sympathizes with President Lincoln. When a friend drowns in a skating accident, Amelia becomes friendly with his brother, Daniel, and soon develops a romantic relationship that continues to grow after Daniel volunteers for the Union Army. In the style of light keepers' logs, each entry records the date, weather, and wind conditions. An appended historical note offers more information about the Civil War. Sure to please historical fiction fans as well as followers of the series.
Shawn Brommer, Southern Tier Library System, Painted Post, NY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9780439445573: A Light in the Storm the Civil War Diary of Amelia Martin (Dear America) (Dear America)

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  0439445574 ISBN 13:  9780439445573
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc., 2002
Softcover