Return to the Island [Library Binding]

Gloria Whelan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2000 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

It is the spring of 1818 and Mary O'Shea is once again living on beautiful Mackinac Island, set like a glittering jewel in the vast Great Lakes. The small island Mary knew as a child is now a booming town: Brigades of traders bring their precious furs from far-off western lands and hundreds of Indians camp on the shore, filling the island night with bonfires and the constant sound of beating drums.

Mary is delighted with her life on the farm and knows she chose wisely in declining a marriage proposal from James Lindsay, a young duke she met during her travels in London. But love of the land isn't the only reason Mary chose to return to her farm after a taste of England's high society. Mackinac Island is also home to Mary's dearest friend, White Hawk, an Indian raised by white settlers. And although White Hawk is often called away to defend Indian claims to native lands, Mary anticipates his visits, hoping that one day he will stay forever.

Then suddenly Mary's plans come into question. James, traveling across America to sketch the land and its people, appears at her doorstep to ask for her hand and declares he will not leave until she consents! Now her future, which once seemed as certain as the ebb and flow of the tides, is cast into stormy waters. Will she journey across the Atlantic to live a life of elegance and ease with James, or will she remain on her beloved island and wait for White Hawk?

In this dazzling conclusion to The Island Trilogy, Mary must uncover the truth of her won heart in order to discover what her future holds.

Books for the Teen Age 2001 (NYPL)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-Whelan writes a convincing third novel in her series about a young woman who lived during the early 1800s on an island between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Mary returns to Michilimackinac after a visit to her sister in England. The beauty of an island she knows intimately; the strong roots of the family farm; and the bond she shares with a special friend, White Hawk, are all reasons for her excitement about returning home. To her disappointment, his commitment to his tribe at L'Arbre Croche leaves him little time to spend with her. The plot gets most interesting when a suitor Mary met in her travels comes to the island with the hope of winning her heart; readers are kept wondering if the adventurous young woman will choose to stay home with a Native leader or return to England to marry the son of a duchess. Throughout, the author deftly integrates history into the novel. This book stands on its own as small hints are dropped throughout the story about events that took place in the earlier titles.
Carrie Lynn Cooper, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-7. This follow-up to Once on This Island and Farewell to the Island, set during the early nineteenth century on Mackinac Island, finds Mary handling the family farm, with a little help from her hotheaded brother, Jacques, and a gentle neighbor, White Hawk. The difficult work of farming and the fractious relationships between the local native peoples and Mr. Astor's Fur Company form the backdrop of what is essentially Mary's struggle to decide between two men in her life--White Hawk, an orphan raised by a white family who acts as spokesperson for his people; and. James, an English painter whom Mary met while visiting her married sister in London. James has come to the island to paint, and to woo Mary. It's pretty obvious where Mary's heart really lies, and the tale ends with a handful of weddings. There's a lot of historical detail that doesn't always spark into life, but readers of the first two books will want this one anyway. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Library Binding: 192 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (October 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060282541
• ISBN-13: 978-0060282547
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,675,824 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A satisfying conclusion to the trilogy., July 14, 2000

By 

Rebecca Herman (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Return to the Island (Island Trilogy) (Hardcover)

Mary O'Shea is no longer a child, but a young woman of eighteen. Having returned to her frontier home on the Great Lakes island of Mackinac after a visit with her sister, she is able to bid farewell to her ailing father before his death. Now she is keeping up the farm she inheirited with the help of her older brother and his Indian wife. But when the English suitor she refused, James, follows Mary to Mackinac to once more try to win her heart, she finds herself torn between him and her childhood friend, White Hawk, an orphaned Indian boy raised by a childless white couple. Her feelings for White Hawk have become romantic, and a marriage to him will allow her to remain on the island she loves. It was quite clear to me from the beginning what the outcome of this book would be, but I enjoyed it anyway. I am a bit sad that this is the final book, but it is a fitting end - Mary, a child in the first book, has grown into a married young woman with a home of her own. A highly statisfying conclusion.

5.0 out of 5 stars How I see/Why I like the book, March 13, 2007

By 

Huyen Kichen "Huyen" (New York City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Return to the Island (Paperback)

This book was based on some history and yes, its fiction too. I like it because its fun to read and its kid book too. Kid books are fun to read. This book gives a girl courage about herself...

The main character is about this girl MAry who is living on an island but when she went to visit her sister Angelique oversea, she befriends a duke's son. HE fell in love with her and asked for her hand in marriage but she had to return home b/c her father got sick and he folloed her back to USA. This book is about her adventure back on her island and how she found where her heart belonged. Where and to who it belong to. I love this book because it good a bit of romance and a bit of adventure in it.

Kid who loves history, romance and adventure would like this book.

4 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Return to the Island, April 9, 2002

By 

Kevin Mitchell (Blanchard, MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Return to the Island (Island Trilogy) (Hardcover)

I think this is a wonderful book. I have only one problem with it. The author (Gloria Whelan) has Ottawas (Odawas) living in teepees. I go to a Native school. All my classmates are Native, mainly Ojibwe and Ottawa (Odawa). One thing we try to tell people is that we DID NOT live in teepees. We lived in wigwams (structures with a wooden frame covered with bark or a similar material). I feel Gloria Whelan could have researched better and prevented this misinformation.