In My Father's House (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (Point) [School & Library Binding]

Ann Rinaldi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1994 | Series: Point

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. For two sisters growing up surrounded by the Civil War, there is conflict both outside and inside their house.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Oscie struggles with her stepfather as the Civil War rages on. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

By an extraordinary quirk, the McLean family entertained Confederates at their Manassas home just before the battle of Bull Run--and also hosted the peace negotiations at Appomattox, where they had moved to escape the war. Staying close to documented facts, as detailed in an excellent note, Rinaldi uses the McLeans' lives to dramatize the war's moral dilemmas. From his marriage in 1852, Will McLean has an uneasy relationship with his feisty seven-year-old stepdaughter Osceola (``Oscie''), the narrator; though she loves and respects the northern governess Will hires, and absorbs many of her ideas, Oscie is uneasy with Will's progressive stance toward slavery and, later, with his profiteering. Some of Rinaldi's inventions are unevenly developed--Oscie's long-held suspicions of one slave (dispelled when she understands her true story); a couple of romances typical of the era--though they do fill out the story. The most compelling relationship is between Oscie and Will, strong-minded characters, often opposed, whose mutual respect turns believably into a father-daughter bond, touchingly acknowledged in the last scene. Meanwhile, the author skillfully weaves history into her story--offstage battles, resentment against profiteers, a remarkable depiction of the northern generals taking the McLeans' furniture as memorabilia of Lee's surrender. Despite some weaknesses (Oscie at seven is unbelievably mature, and there's a 20th-century feel to some of the dialogue): a sweeping, dramatic overview of the war, authentic and compelling. Bibliography; chronology. (Fiction. 12+) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• School & Library Binding: 312 pages
• Publisher: Turtleback (November 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078575475X
• ISBN-13: 978-0785754756
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (69 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,855,086 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Historical Fiction!, May 11, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: In My Father's House (Point) (Paperback)

W0W! I'm currently studing the Civil War and let me just say... this book really blends in right with the time period! Its really just a great book for anyone to read, even without the intention of learning a little bit about the Civil War *2 thumbs up!*

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very interesting book!, December 22, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: In My Father's House (Point) (Paperback)

I am a female... and I wanted to say that this book showed me the civil war from a perspective I'd never seen before. It wasn't all history like a school book or something; most of it was plot, but it was educational and a lot of fun to read!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Tale for Mature Readers, July 25, 2006

By 

Green Marker Girl "Bernadette" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In My Father's House (Point) (Paperback)

In My Father's House follows a young Southern girl, Oscie Mason, as she lives twelve years of her life, plagued by the Civil War.

It all starts when Oscie's mother, Virginia, marries Will Mclean. Oscie does not like him, mostly because she is unwilling to allow her beloved father to be replaced. She is disrespectful and rude to him as often as possible, and the two fight with each other constantly, even when Oscie is only a little girl of seven.

But when Will Mclean buys a new slave, Mary Ann, Oscie is enraged. Oscie quickly finds that Mary Ann is evil, practicing voodoo, and is sure that she is set to curse the family. Meanwhile, talk of war is raging like wildfire.Will Mclean, or "Daddy Will" as the girls have come to call him, hires a yankee teacher, Button, to tutor the girls. Oscie grows attached to Button, and they become fast friends.

One night in January, upon the arrival of one life, another in the family is lost. This is the first tear in the family, and one in the many heartbreaks of Oscie herself.

This is a fabulous book. I could not put it down, and was finished with it in a matter of days. You have to be a mature reader to really enjoy the story though. Another Rinaldi triumph.