2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Aftershocks is one of the BEST books ever!, March 4, 2006
A Kid's Review
This review is from: Aftershocks (Hardcover)
My Grandfather, William Lavender wrote this book and i got to read it early! I was very impressed that my grandfather wrote it! It was AMAZING! I would recommend this book ages 12 and up! Even though my grandfather wrote it it it is not for boys only, my aunt and grandmother helped a lot! It belongs on the best seller list!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dr. Jessie..., July 31, 2006
This review is from: Aftershocks (Hardcover)
Jessie Wainwright is a stubborn, rebellious, opinionated, courageous, and undeniably likeable character. The novel, Aftershocks, by William Lavender begins in 1903, our heroine is introduced early-on as a trouble-maker. Her family, wealthy and prestigious in San Francisco, cannot understand why this fourteen year old girl would ever want to bother with an education and medical school when she could easily make a good match and become a doting wife and mother. But Jessie's goals in life will not be dictated by her father, although she will outwardly submit for the sake of family unity. Thus begins one of the first themes of the book: discrimination against women, particularly women in the workplace.
The second theme of the novel is discrimination against the Chinese. While most wealthy families employed a "house boy" that was Chinese, they were very much looked down upon and viewed as dishonest and inferior. Ching Lee, the Wainwright's houseboy, brings his niece Mei to work as a maid in the household. She is instantly befriended by Jessie, and since she is a quick learner, she is respected by the other members of the family. Eager is one word to describe Mei. She is eager to please...and eager to become an American. Naively eager in some circumstances.
When Jessie's mother becomes ill, Mei moves into the attic room. Ching Lee is against this from the start--he knows no good could come from it--but the family insists. Mei loves living there, and she becomes more familiar with the family--in some cases way too familiar with the family. One night, Jessie hears noises coming from the attic room. Strange noises to her hear and lots of laughter...instantly suspicious of her older brother who has been flirting with Mei...she is shocked to see her father come stumbling out of the attic. Months later, Mei leaves the household along with Ching Lee without a word to anyone--but Jessie fears the true reason is that Mei has learned she is pregnant. Her search for Mei and Lee continues, until she accidentally stumbles into an opium house and is arrested. To say her parents were horrified would be an understatement, she is threatened with boarding school if she disobeys again.
1906. The San Francisco earthquake and subsequent fires make the perfect plot device for moving this story forward and bringing everyone's secrets out into the open. Seeing Chinatown destroyed, Jessie can no longer avoid the obvious...she wants...she needs to find out what happened to her half-sister. In the chaos, she is able to slip in and out of the house and visit the refugee camps where the Chinese are staying...and it is here where the story really begins to unfold.
Aftershocks is a great read. Complex storylines, multiple climaxes and resolutions...and ultimately a very happy ending. Definitely recommend to lovers of historical fiction.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding historical fiction for teens, July 5, 2006
This review is from: Aftershocks (Hardcover)
The great San Francisco quake of 1906 may be the most physically earthshattering event in this sweeping, well-told historical novel. But a family secret involving power, harassment, deceit and racism both shakes up young Jessie Wrainwright's life and gives her focus and determination. It leads her to Chinatown (and later, the earthquake refugee camps) to look for Lee, the immigrant she loved who helped raise her, who left the Wainwright mansion suddenly with his niece Mei, and never returned.
Jessie has many friends and makes more, whom she will need in order to rescue Mei's daughter from being sent to a cattle ranch or orphanage after the earthquake. And in spite of her father's many objections, she doggedly pursues her dream of a career in medicine.
This is a big, juicy novel that will keep readers turning pages well past their bedtimes.
(A version of this review appeared in the Palo Alto Weekly.)
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