Customer Reviews

After the Dancing Days

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After the Dancing Days is about a girl who is dealing with the death of her uncle,the war, and her father being away helping the doctors at war. When her father finally arrives, her life starts to change. She cannot stop thinking about all of the wounded soldiers. As the weeks go by she learns to manage her thoughts and keep up with her ever-changing life.

I loved After the dancing Days. It was very interesting to see a girl about my age going through so much and handling it so well. It is also very inspiring to me because of the fact that she is so strong spiritually and emotionally.

The war brought a great deal of depression to the family,not to mention the rest of the country. When everything starts to get worse,she loses a good friend who helped her through the whole time. I thought the book was really good and great for anyone who likes to read.

After the Dancing Days is a heartwarming story that accurately depicts historical events. The author gives readers an accurate picture of what the war was like, how the soldiers felt, and what life was like after the war. In addition, all of the characters behaved true to the time period. The history of World War I and the years following the war is revealed through the eyes of young Annie, the main character. Annie is a very dynamic character who changes throughout the story. At the beginning of the book, she is portrayed as a typical young girl, enjoying child-like activities. Throughout the book, Annie matures and enjoys the company of a twenty year old soldier over the company of children her own age. This story was told in the first person enabling the reader to know how Annie felt and how she changed. After the Dancing Days is a great story for middle school or high school students learning about World War I.

I absolutly loved this book. At first I didn't think I would like it but I was wrong. This book was easy to understand and write an oral report over. I disagree with anyone who says its too hard. I am only 16 and understood and went through exactly what Annie was feeling. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a better understanding of what war was like, in a teen's view.

This book was entertaining and insightful. It captured the essence of what it was like for an adolescent after WWI. Annie is coming of age during a time when the world had suffered a loss of innocence. This book would work well in an intergrated study of literature and history. Connections could be made to other reading material of that era. Although this book is earmarked for a Young Adult audience it has an ageless quality about it that would allow even adult readers to enjoy. I would reccomend this book to everyone who enjoys reading well written fiction.

This touching story of a 13 year old girl named Annie and abadly deformed man named Andrew is one you will never forget! The auther tells an amazing story of their friendship. It is a beautiful tale!I would recamend that anyone who loves a great book that you just cant put down read this book!

After the Dancing Days is a fantastic book. It is about friendship and how you should not judge people by their appearence. This book is also full of drama. Ther is also a mystery to the story. After the DAncing Dsys is filled with some facts about the war. I would recomend this book to girls seven to fourteen. I dont think boys would like it. It is more a book for girls. I would also recomend it to people who like mystery books and friendship and drama all in one. It is definatlly a page turner. At some parts i coulnt put it down didnt want to read. Usually i was glued to the page. I could have read it in one day because of the fact that you want to know what happends next but the author just leaves you hanging therefor you have to turn the page and start a new chapter. THe characters are those of who you can relate to. Annie is the main character. You will also read about uncle Paul, Grandmother and grandfather, father, mother, and Andrew the wounded soldier. Annie befriends Andrew and looks past his wounds. I liked Annie alot, she was very realistic and in a way she was a hero to Andrew. Annies mother was my least favorite character. She judges people on how they look. i did not like her actions or the way she thinks. but every book has one of those characters. Although i went on about how great the book is it does have its weaknesses. It is kindof hard to get into because the begining is really slow. but it speeds up and becomes very exciting.

I admired this book. Annie lives with her mother and father. WW1 has just ended, and Annie's father is a doctor at a hospital for wounded soldiers. During the most wonderful summer of her life, Annie meets Andrew, a war veteran. He was one of her father's patients; one of the wounded soldiers. At first, Andrew is sharp and mean, but slowly the two grow into dear friends. Andrew even helps Annie find out more of the mysterious death of her uncle. I loved this book so much, that I would rather give it 10 stars!

Although there are numerous young adult novels that deal with WWII, I've run across few that deal with the horrors of WWI in such intimate detail. Thirteen-year-old Annie's father is a doctor, and she's waiting for him at the train station when she sees wounded soldiers being unloaded from the train: victims of mustard gas, shrapnel wounds, and other war injuries. This reality brings the war home for her in a way that simply reading about it in the papers couldn't.

Soon, Annie begins to spend time with the wounded soldiers at the veteran's hospital where her father works. Anne befriends a soldier wounded in a mustard gas attack and experiences the first stirrings of romance and adult responsibilities. Her initial revulsion at the wounded soldiers' appearances is believable as she has been sheltered from the realities of war by her mother, and her gradual infatuation with Andrew tenderly unfolds.

Overall, this was an inspiring novel that explored heroism, the meaning of sacrifice, and the high cost of war on all involved. I read this numerous times as a teenager, and recently purchased a copy in order to reacquaint myself with Annie's courage and the moving descriptions of patriotism and heroism.

After the Dancing Days
By Margaret I. Rostkowski
Report By Charlotte Beal

Annie is a curious adolesant who is extremely creative and she loves people. She is very smart and feels that she is much for mature than all of her friends. Annie's father is a doctor for veterans that got hurt in World War I. After the war is over Annie's father gets transferred to a hospital near Annie's home. All Annie wants to do is go to the hospital with her father. At the hospital Annie meets Andrew who is a young veteran that was burned in the war. Annie and Andrew start a quest to find out about Annie's uncles death. This book has fantastic writing and a great plot. It also is the perfect length; however, the beginning is a little slow. After the Dancing days is a mystery filled with romance and friendship. This book is a fast read and it is a real page turner. Margaret I. Rostkowski writes with a romantic style. She does a good job of writing the book in Annie's perspective. Anybody could like this book, but it is especially for historical fiction and romance lovers.

After the Dancing days is about a 13-year-old girl named Annie. It takes place in a small town outside of Kansas City, in 1919. World War One has just ended and Annie becomes interested in one of the wounded soldiers at the hospital where her dad works. Annie and Andrew, the soldier, end up becoming good friends, and Annie has to make the choice of obeting her mom and not going to the hosital or keep visting Andrew. She decides to keep visiting Andrew while her mom is away for the summer. While visiting the hospital and talking to the men Annie learns about the true horrors of the war, and not just what the newspapers and adults tell her. I gave this book three stars because it is a good book, but at points it isn't all that interesting. Overall it wasn't too bad but I have read some more interesting books.
This book relates to the essential question of "What does it mean to be an American?" There were some people after WWI, like Annie's mom, that tried to forget about the war and the soldiers who came back wounded. Annie discovers that the wounded soldiers are still normal men that shouldn't be ignored. Annie's mom does in the end figure this out. I think that during this time period, being an American meant acknowledging the wounded soldiers and realizing that they were also suffering from the war.