The Strength of Saints [Paperback]

A. LaFaye (Author)

Book Description

"Inside me, in a new place, sore with growth, I felt the solid weight of strength holding me up, pushing me forward to face what was sure to come next."

Nissa Bergen is growing up...and finding that she's growing apart from childhood friends and facing adult decisions. Her hometown is changing too. Northerners have settled in Harper, Louisiana, and have opened a cannery. With the new population, new resources -- like more schools -- are needed. But there's growing racial tension, with threats of violence that may come back to hurt Nissa, who created the town's "separate-but-equal" libraries.

Nissa is faced with a chance to be a hero, and like a true hero, she just wants to do what's right. But doing what's right is never easy. Not even for saints.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Strength of Saints by A. LaFaye (The Year of the Sawdust Man and Nissa's Place) continues the story of Nissa Bergen. As a growing population challenges the resources and long-held beliefs of her racially divided town, the young heroine, creator of "separate but equal" libraries, must confront the difficulties head on. Ages 10-15
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9-LaFaye's tale describes life in small-town Louisiana when racial tensions are escalating. Neither the 1936 time period nor the setting is particularly well defined. Very few details other than geographical names indicate a southern locale. Plot and theme are developed slowly through the too-mature musings of 14-year-old Nissa Bergen, who attempts to support racial equality by creating two separate but equal libraries, the East and West Libraries, housed in the same building, despite her fears that some of the town's known Klan members might burn it down with her in it. Her independent spirit is supposedly explained by the fact that she is the newspaper editor's daughter. After enjoying the much more liberal atmosphere of city life, her eccentric mother inexplicably returns to support her daughter. Encouraged by the woman's independent spirit, Nissa continues to patronize her black friend's cafe, to serve her library patrons equally, and to uphold "right" much like a Louisiana Joan of Arc of 1936. The book climaxes with a terrible fire set indirectly by racists. The new factory, which has been the salvation of most of the townspeople, is destroyed and Nissa saves the day. It's all a bit unbelievable.
Susan Cooley, Tower Hill School, Wilmington, DE
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; 1 edition (June 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689832001
• ISBN-13: 978-0689832000
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,716,962 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

when I started elementary in a small town in central Wisconsin, I discovered that I had a serious problem--I was a complete and total geek! I showed up at school with my clothes on backwards (not to start a new fashion trend, I just pay a lot of attention when I was getting dressed); I talked to myself (why not, no one else would); and I was constantly making up stories.

By the time I was 8, most of the kids in school hated me. They called me names, threw things at me, and generally made my life miserable. I want to do something to make them want to get to know the real me, becuase I felt sure that they'd like me if they really got to know me.

My big plan back then was to break a World Record in the Guiness Book of World Records, then I'd become famous and everyone would want to get to know me. Unfortunately, I could find a record I could break. Then I found Dorothy Straight who published a novel when she was six. I thought, "If a six year old can do, then so can I." That's what started me on the road to becoming an author.

Since then, I've become an author and a writing teacher. I've published nearly a dozen books including WORTH which one the 2005 Scott O'Dell Award and my most recent title THE KEENING which tells the story of a grieving girl who discovers she has a hidden family talent-- she can see the dead.

More importantly, I've realized that it's wonderful to embrace your inner geek, believe in the person God made you to be, and use the gifts God make you to try and make the world a better place. I hope my books do that.

Happy Reading!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Story of Strength and Triumph, June 10, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Strength of Saints (Paperback)

LaFaye continues with Nissa's story of self-discovery and independence in The Strength of Saints. Here, Nissa is in the process of discovering the fact that she is indeed her own person. As Heirah points out, Nissa is neither like her, Ivar, or Nissa's new step-mother, Lara--she is a unique and truly wonderful individual. Her mother's free spirit, Ivar's strength, and their combined belief that all human beings are created equal are forces which have helped give Nissa the freedom to be who she is--the founder and librarian of the East and West Harper Libraries, where everyone is welcome. Lara's presence has heped Nissa to understand that it is her own family who is "out of the ordinary." Through this understanding, Nissa is able to come to terms with the beliefs and actions of Lara and other members of the community and view them with a new perspective. Nissa's narative takes us deep into the turmoil that is created when the Yampells, who come from the north, build a cannery and hire blacks and whites alike, expecting them to work side by side. This causes the powerful members of Harper, angry over the idea of blacks being treated as equals, to stir up Klan tensions, which eventually leads to the sparking of both a literal and metaphorical fire. This fire turns the cannery into ashes, leaving the townspeople without the jobs they so desperately needed, and leaving behind a heavy smoke of hatred and mistrust. Nissa's thoughtful examination of these events and how they affect both herself and those around her are focused through the decisions that she must make concerning her libraries, and how these decisions will effect not only herself and her family but the entire town of Harper. In this novel, Nissa, hoping that she will have the strength of saints--the strength to do the right thing no matter what the consequences--forges forward into young womanhood with strength, character, individuality, and purpose. Despite all of the turmoil, Nissa manages to be mindful of angels and stay on course, leaving behind a story that no doubt makes Ivar, Heirah, and Lara proud, and will keep many a reader--young and old alike--turning the pages.

5.0 out of 5 stars The best yet, January 1, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Strength of Saints (Paperback)

Nissa's story keeps getting better. From The Year of the Sawdust Man to Nissa's Place to this book, Nissa has grown quite a bit, learning to accept her family's odd makeup. She still holds out the little-girl hope that her bohemian mother and more conservative father will find a way to get back together again, but with Papa and new wife Lara having a baby, the hope seems slimmer. Nissa's mother is more present in this book and she has grown quite a bit as well. I was struck by how well the adults are described in this book--from a child's eye view and yet I think Nissa understands them--and so does the reader. Nissa's industrious projects (so reminiscent of her mother) result in the East and West Harper libraries, a terrific analogy for the racial divide in the South of this time period. A. LaFaye is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers--her books are filled with humor, serious subjects, and a main character who walked off the page and into my heart. I heartily recommend this book.