From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-In this picture book, ten-year-old Charlotte Haines's life is torn asunder at the end of the American Revolutionary War. Her bullheaded father, a confirmed rebel, can hardly wait for the last of the Loyalists to leave the country. That includes his brother and his family. Charlotte isn't supposed to have anything to do with her two cousins, but the girls have maintained their friendship at school and in church. When it is time for them to leave New York City for the wilds of Nova Scotia, Charlotte disobeys her father and spends their last day with them. She never dreams that his reaction will be so extreme; the angry man forbids her to enter his house, and says he never wishes "to see her traitorous face again." She boards a ship the following day with her aunt, uncle, and cousins and never sees any member of her immediate family again. In a brief afterword, it is reported that this is a true story and that Charlotte lived a long and productive life in the Province of New Brunswick. No sources are given. The large, richly colored paintings bring to life the period and the comfortable lifestyle of wealthy merchants. The faces of both families, especially Charlotte's, reflect the pain and bewilderment caused by the man's behavior. This briefly told but strong story reminds readers how cruel and disruptive war can be, even for the winners.
Virginia Golodetz, Children's Literature New England, Burlington, VTCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Gr. 4^-6, younger for reading aloud. Based on a true story, this unusual picture book takes readers back to New York City in 1783. Ten-year-old Charlotte has a dilemma. Her father, who supported the colonists during the Revolution, feuds with his brother, a Loyalist. He has forbidden Charlotte to speak with her uncle, aunt, and cousins. Now that the war is over, Loyalists are being transported to Nova Scotia. Charlotte slips away from the slave who escorts her to school and runs off to say goodbye to her beloved relatives. When she returns home, her father bars her way at the gate, saying, "You have made your choice. I never wish to see your traitorous face again." Shaken, Charlotte returns to her aunt and uncle, who take her to live with them in Canada. An afterword briefly tells what happened to Charlotte Haines, who never saw her father, mother, or brother again. Illustrated with luminous paintings of dramatic scenes, this book looks accessible to young children, but that age group may be frightened by the fact that a child could be banished from her home and country for a single act of disobedience. The book will be more meaningful to middle-graders, who may find Charlotte's punishment a shock, but will at least know something about the period. They will certainly learn more here. Slaves in the North? Loyalists shipped off to Canada? Banishment of children? This dramatic story is a far cry from the usual Revolutionary War tale in which children perform small, quiet acts of bravery in the patriotic cause. Intriguing and emotionally wrenching, this provides clear-cut depictions of good and evil. And if the American patriot is the villain for a change, that in itself is a matter for discussion.
Carolyn Phelan
