Wednesday, November 12, 2008

The Letter Writer by Ann Rinaldi - ADVISABLE


Rinaldi, Ann The Letter Writer, 216 p. Harcourt, 2008.

Violence: PG.

MS - ADVISABLE

Young Harriet Whitehead is the bastard daughter of a rich plantation owner who died soon after he sprung her existence on his Southern family. Harriet is ordered by her stepbrother to write letters dictated by his blind mother and Harriet gets to know the ins and outs of plantation life. Then Nat Turner, a talented carpenter, who is also a slave, is brought to the plantation to do some work. Harriet gets involved with the charismatic slave preacher and does something that is one piece, a very important piece, in supporting Turner's slave uprising, which has terrible consequences not for surrounding countryside and for Harriet's family.

Ann Rinaldi has written another fine historical fiction novel. She brings southern slavery and Turner's rebellion to life.

CINDY

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