Where Have All the Flowers Gone?: the Diary of Molly MacKenzie Flaherty [Hardcover]

Ellen Emerson White (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

The sister of a Marine fighting in a war she does not believe in, our zealous heroine must reconcile her life as anti-war demonstrator with that of her brother.

An agonzing dilemma plagues these brother-sister diarists.
He is a Marine stationed in Vietnam. She is at home in America, far away from her brother's war zone, fighting for peace. As the marine writes in his journal about his experiences as a soldier, fighting an enemy he can't see, his sister seeks peace. In these gripping installments of DEAR AMERICA and MY NAME IS AMERICA, Ellen Emerson White captures the unique time period when america was at war both in a far-off place, and at home where adults and children alike marched in the streets for peace and freedom. Poignant and complex, these two characters will give readers a glimpse into perhaps the most tumultuous time in modern American history.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9 This novel focuses on events from Christmas 1967 through May 1968, a time of war in Vietnam and unrest in the United States. Molly's brother, Patrick, is serving in the area of Khe Sanh, a region that is receiving high-intensity shelling, and the 15-year-old contends with the duality of emotions occasioned by pride and concern for him and by her daily exposure to antiwar feelings. She observes how heated people can be about the war, one way or the other, but no one seems to bother to know the details; she wants to learn everything she possibly can about it. Volunteering in the VA hospital over the objections of her parents, she witnesses the frustration and anger of the seriously injured vets and the death of one of them. The story is rich in detail about the period: hippies; demonstrations; the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert Kennedy; the lure of the coffeehouses, thrift shops, and bookstores of Harvard Square; and always the fate of the Boston Red Sox. Molly is an engaging protagonist with her own issues, and her questioning mind seeks honest answers. Average-quality, captioned black-and-white historical photos appear with the back matter. This title will be popular where readers seek out "Dear America" and similar series, and it complements American history studies. -Sylvia V. Meisner, Greensboro Montessori School, NC
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 7-10. White does a good job of fusing the personal with the political in this Dear America series companion to The Journal of Patrick Seamus Flaherty [BKL Jl 02]. Patrick's teenage sister, Molly, at home in Boston in 1968, is the focus. She's not sure she supports the war. Does her ambivalence mean she's betraying her beloved brother? The story unfolds through Molly's diary entries, which depict how the war affects daily life and her Irish Catholic family. In the background are the tumultuous events of the times--the political assassinations, the civil rights and women's movements-- which Molly does engage with. The main story, however, is about Molly's war at home, and the most moving entries are about her volunteer work at a hospital, where she encounters firsthand what could happen to her brother. A long historical essay at the back, with several pages of photos, fills in more of the history. As with Patrick's journal, notes emphasize that the story is fiction. Why, then, does an epilogue tie everything up as if the events were true? Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 190 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc. (June 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439148898
• ISBN-13: 978-0439148894
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #159,254 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ellen Emerson White has lived in New york City for many years, but still hankers for New England a bit.

She roots for the Red Sox, even when they are not at their best.

She is wicked private.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Strong Character, Good Diary, July 13, 2002

By 

Allyn "pianogirl" (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Where Have All the Flowers Gone?: the Diary of Molly MacKenzie Flaherty (Hardcover)

Molly Flaherty's life has totally changed now that her brother, Patrick, has gone to fight in the Vietnam War. She misses him him terribly-his jokes, his pranks, and just his presence. Patrick's leaving also forces Molly to think about the Vietnam War more. She wonders if it's right or wrong, and if the U.S. should be involved. And she wants to DO something about it, but how can she protest, knowing that Patrick is fighting? I enjoyed how this diary was a good balance of thoughts about the war and Molly and her family's everyday life. One thought that really came through was the paradoxical normalcy of Molly's life despite the feeling of "living on the edge" because of worry about Patrick. Finally, unexpectedly, Molly finds a way to be involved in the Vietnam War when she volunteer at a veteran's hospital. I loved how Molly seemed to really care about the soldiers there, and relate to them well. She felt their pain, and courageously kept volunteering, even if it reminded her of Patrick. Molly in her everyday life was also an interesting and inspiring character-down-to-earth, intelligent, and unafraid to stand up for her beliefs. Don't miss this solid addition to the "Dear America" series.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the best Dear America diary's I've read!, May 23, 2005

By 

Li'l Big Sis (End of the Road, Alaska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Where Have All the Flowers Gone?: the Diary of Molly MacKenzie Flaherty (Hardcover)

Fifteen-year old Molly Mackenzie Flaherty is lost in the 60's and the Vietnam War. In the book there are so many feelings around her. She faced with racial prejudice, women's discrimination, pro and anti-war feelings, and the absence of her father who's a firefighter. On top of all that she's just trying to figure out how to grow up. Molly is unsure about what to believe-is the war good, or bad? What I like about her, is she weighs everything carefully, examines it, thinks about it, and never just "goes with the flow."
Molly's a unique character. I had the feeling while I was reading the book that she was a real person, not just another Dear America heroine who did great things, but wasn't a real girl. She never saved someone's life, made it into the papers, or changed the course of a war, like some girls in the Dear America books. But you have a feeling that she did do something.
The main thing that is dominant in the book is her love and worry for her brother, Patrick, fighting over in Vietnam. She's not sure she agrees with the war, but she doesn't want to "betray" Patrick by wearing peace symbols, or being in protests with the "beautiful people", as the hippies called themselves.
You can tell towards the middle of the book that she becomes more confused. She faces the weary hatred in the VA hospital that she volunteers at, against her parent's wishes. The guys there remind her of her brother, and that's one of the reasons she does it. One of my favorite parts in the book is when a depressed attitude is going around in the VA hospital. "Okay, people," I said loudly. "New rules, starting now. I don't want to see any talking. I don't want to see any smiles. I don't want to see any fun. All I want to see is healing, got it? Lots and lots of healing." Molly ends up creating a whole new mood, she starts making pillow sheet footballs and throwing them around to the guys in the ward.
In the end when Patrick gets injured, Molly has to deal with all of those feelings, too. But she's just grateful that he's alive. You can tell that she's beginning to understand things a little. I was glad when she finally decides the boy she liked is a jerk. Molly knows she doesn't like the war, but still admires her brother and she never has racial prejudice.
It's a great book, and I definitely recommend it. It really helps with the feel of the turmoil in the 60's. Then why did I give it only four stars? Because I don't agree with some of Molly's religious or "Feminine Mystique" views. Other than that, I really enjoyed it, especially Molly's spunk and good humor.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very good Dear America book!, May 3, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Where Have All the Flowers Gone?: the Diary of Molly MacKenzie Flaherty (Hardcover)

This book is about a 15-year-old girl named Molly Mackenzie Flaherty. She is in the homefront turmoil of the [SE Asia] War. She talks about a lot of different things in this book, like the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., volunteering at the local VA hospital, Boston Common, hippies, school, driving, her dad being a firefighter, football, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Milhous Nixon, religion, Jason, and, most important, her brother, Patrick Seamus, being in Khe Sanh, [SE Asia]. There is a companion journal, The Journal of Patrick Seamus Flaherty. Where Have All the Flowers Gone? is a good book. ...I would recommend this book to everyone. It is very, very good.