Customer Reviews

Dark Water Rising

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After enjoying the author's first novel, The Truth About Sparrows, I wasn't sure I wanted to read yet another book about the great Galveston storm of 1900. I've visited Galveston often and heard the stories all my life, so I wondered whether this novel could offer anything fresh. But within a few pages of Dark Water Rising, I was hooked and finished the novel in one sitting.

Seventeen-year-old Seth, the oldest of four children, resents moving to Galveston with his family on a hot August day in 1900. His father hopes the move will push Seth closer to a dream of going to medical school. The trouble is, that's Papa's dream, not Seth's. Seth wants to become a master carpenter, just like Papa.

With the help of their Uncle Nate, Seth and his family settle into life in Galveston. Seth soon forms a friendship with Ben, son of his uncle's caretaker, despite barriers of race and position. In the hot, airless days that lead up to the storm, Seth finds work on a construction project, samples the delights of life on the Galveston Boardwalk, and argues with his father about his future.

This story shines with realism and historical detail. On every page, the reader experiences the sights, smells, textures, sounds, and mood of life in the bustling, turn-of-the-century island boomtown. As I was reading it, I was tempted to get in my car and drive to Galveston so I could walk along the beach and imagine the town as it existed in August of 1900.

Just as Seth settles into his new job and starts accepting life in Galveston, the first storm warning flags go up. Seth and Ben are separated from other members of the family, and they experience a day and night of terror as a hurricane changes life forever on Galveston island.

It's in the aftermath of the storm that this story will grip readers. Seth and Ben walk the streets of Galveston, searching for survivors and family members. The devastation is everywhere, and the reader experiences it through the senses of Seth as he struggles to find his place in the unfamiliar world that is life after the storm.

Although this is a story of the Galveston storm, it is also Seth's story of growth, finding his own place in the world, and understanding his relationships with friends and family. The author balances the historical story with the fictional story of Seth in a perfect blend that keeps the reader turning pages until the satisfying end. Long after you close the book, you'll remember the poignant but personal stories of these characters.

Readers of any age, adult and child alike, will be drawn into this memorable story about a devastating natural disaster. I've spent a lot of time in Galveston, and have weathered my share of hurricanes, but this story let me experience one particular storm better than any other book I've read about the event.

This is a great book for classroom use, and can be used with equal success for middle grade as well as high school readers. While Seth is a teen, his younger siblings and friends also shine in this story, so it will appeal to a variety of student readers. It would make a great read-aloud book, although your students will be reluctant to have you stop and you may find yourself reading more than one chapter aloud at a time. There's an extensive author's note at the end with more information about the storm.

Too often historical fiction concerning the 1900 Storm is riddled with inaccuracies presented as fact or suffers from weak characters and a forced plot to incorporate the Storm. Marian Hale surpasses all of this.

I fell in love with the Braeden family and even though I knew what was coming next, Ms. Hale wrote it in such beautiful, flowing language I found myself looking forward to the rest of the story.

Ms. Hale treated her characters with respect and honesty--especially Seth's observations and relationship with Ezra and Ben--without resorting to exaggeration.

On a personal level, I appreciated Ms. Hale's ability to incorporate many real-life characters and situations of the first hand accounts reproduced in my own publication, Through a Night of Horrors: Voices from the 1900 Galveston Storm. I easily recognized familiar settings and stories experienced by Seth and the Braeden family, and found a loving tug at my heart that Ms. Hale had given so much thought and attention to bring them into her novel seamlessly.

Under my ever-searching intense eyes I found only only one teensy historical error that can easily be overlooked. This is a Galveston I recognize, with factual history blended smoothly in a way that propertly sets the touching story and characters.

I highly recommend this novel for use and will be giving it to my own 4th grade daugther to read - especially since she's not interested in reading mine just yet. Thank you Ms. Hale for an excellent novel.

another great historical fiction by this author. Having lived in galveston for several years, i was able to vividal recall each street, store and hotel mentioned; a wonderful reminder. Read the first 10 chapters in my first sitting, loved the family, and Seth the main character. Solid book, recommend for all ages.

I originally read both books by Mrs. Hale because I know her personally, but was blown away by this one. It is a story about a 17 yr old boy's, Seth, experience with the devastating Galveston Storm of 1900. It is so precise and well-written historically, I actually assigned it to my students to better understand the impact the storm had in Galveston. The only thing I want to warn about is the graphic nature. Some of my students had some trouble with the descriptions of the bodies, devestation. So if your child has a queasy stomach, you may want to wait until he/she is older. However, overall, it is a great historical fiction book!

The Galveston hurricane in 1900 was a tragedy in which over 6000 died. The author has interwoven a touching fictional tale with the facts resulting in a gripping, fascinating story. I highly recommend this and Hale's first novel, The Truth About Sparrows.

This is a moving and beautiful story based on the actual events surrounding the Galveston storm and flood. As with many of today's books for younger readers, this is a novelist who is writing for young adults yet dealing with issues and life decisions in an intelligent way--edited to a reasonable length--so that an adult would find this a most satisfying read. I certainly did, and the images and lessons of this story will stay with me for a long time.

A friend told me about Marian Hale's first book, "The Truth About Sparrows". She said that even though it was written for pre-teens, she had enjoyed it very much. I must agree with her. It was an excellent book, and when I finished it I wanted more! As soon as "Dark Water Rising" was available I read it. Sometimes when we have expectations about a book we are disappointed, and then there's that old axiom about everyone having one good book in them. However, I was delighted to see that Ms. Hale had done it again!

"Dark Water Rising" captivated me from the beginning. When I was reading it, it was as though nothing else existed. I looked forward to the limited time I have each day for reading. This book seized hold of my mind and my heart, wrapped them in tears and smiles and wouldn't let go. I made it last as long as I could, because I didn't want it to end. I was amazed at Ms. Hale's ability to achieve such depth and detail of content with a warm simplicity. I would not like to see adults pass this book over thinking it is only for "children". Any adult who enjoys good writing will love it!

It's been a long, long time since a writer has taken me back to the first good feelings that I associate with books. My grandmother read to me as a child. She sat in front of a blazing, crackling fireplace with me on her lap, reading the same stories over and over. Her gift to me was a love of reading. Ms. Hale's books take me to that same lovely, warm place. She obviously has a superior gift as a storyteller, and I impatiently look forward to many more books.