- Paperback
- Publisher: New York Doubleday 1988. (1988)
- ASIN: B000H572CC
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
| ||||||||||||||||||
Product Details |
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A little book with a big impact!,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A Different Kind of Christmas (Hardcover)
When Fletcher Randall returned home to Ashe County, North Carolina from the College of New Jersey (Princeton) and suggested that the family have a "truly different Christmas celebration," his parents, wealthy plantation owners and slaveholders, had no idea how different it would be.They know of his "stormy relationship with the Yankee students" and his "incompatibility with his Southern classmates." However, Fletcher had not told them that he had become "friends" with "Friends" - better known as "Quakers whom his father deplored for their strong anti- slavery views." That friendship was the beginning of a transformation in the thinking of the heir to the plantation and his father's political position. He learned that the best and most important education does not come from books, lectures, library, nor the family. Instead, it comes from the ability to think for oneself and the courage to follow one's conscience - even if it means risking everything. Alex Haley skillfully tells a story of a young man and his struggle between doing what his parents, background, and culture instilled in him and what he came to realize was right. It is also the story of the Underground Railroad - its history, how it operated, the dangers faced by escaping slaves and "conductors" alike, and how a simple woodland noise or an innocent question from a stranger could mean the difference between life and death. This is a simple story, and the reader knows from the beginning the choices Fletcher will make. However, wanting to know how and when they will be made and who will be involved makes you read on and on. This book joins the list of others, which I will read at Christmas time year after year. It should become a Christmas classic.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A powerhouse of a book,
By Doug Scott (carmel in) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Different Kind of Christmas (Hardcover)
I never read Haley until now and I am sorry it has taken so long.The story starts off like an after school special but, suddenly picks up speed and turns into an amazing novel.Haley has a way of just giving enough to spark your imagination. I thought about this book for a long time. I guess what I got out of it was how each of us can over come our percieved ideas and become better people.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Little Treasure,
By
This review is from: A Different Kind of Christmas (Hardcover)
"A Different Kind of Christmas" is the tale of a white southern born and bred college student (Fletcher) during the mid 1800's. Fletcher is the only son of a wealthy slave owning senator who believes a northern education is excellent preparation for his son's eventual ownership of the plantation. After being befriended by Quaker classmates, Fletcher's education is broadened to include the abolitionist doctrines upheld by the Quakers. As Fletcher integrates this new knowledge into his worldview, he is moved to join the Underground Rail Road system and is assigned the task of freeing slaves from his hometown in North Carolina. Fletcher is joined by a slave from his hometown, Harpin' John, who is also a part of the UGRR. Together they plan the escape of twelve slaves. The story takes a turn when the escape plans are discovered. Suddenly, Fletcher and Harpin' John are fleeing from sure execution at the hands of the slave patrol. This little tale is filled with information on the abolitionist movement while at the same time delivers a fable like story that appeals to children and adults. This is an excellent read for children. As an ongoing bedtime story or independent read the novel portrays an integral part of American history in an easily readable format. This will make a nice addition to children's libraries.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Inside This Book
(learn more)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
First Sentence:
ONE AFTERNOON in March of 1855, in his college office, whose austerity reflected his own lack of pretense and an honesty bordering at times on the severe, C. Thomas Ridgeley, the Dean of Men, considered the request of the stocky auburn-haired sophomore who stood formally at attention, as was required of a student appearing before an officer of the college. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
nativity pageant, chief conductor, barbecue party Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Melissa Anne, Tom Graves, Fletcher Randall, Senator Randall, Vigilance Committee, North Carolina, Christmas Eve, Liza Mae, Ashe County, Old Black Hattie, Frederick Douglass, Professor Lincoln, Dean of Men, Dean Ridgeley, New York, North Star, Parson Brown, Erick Lincoln, Great Room, South House, Tom Barrett New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
ONE AFTERNOON in March of 1855, in his college office, whose austerity reflected his own lack of pretense and an honesty bordering at times on the severe, C. Thomas Ridgeley, the Dean of Men, considered the request of the stocky auburn-haired sophomore who stood formally at attention, as was required of a student appearing before an officer of the college. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
nativity pageant, chief conductor, barbecue party Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Melissa Anne, Tom Graves, Fletcher Randall, Senator Randall, Vigilance Committee, North Carolina, Christmas Eve, Liza Mae, Ashe County, Old Black Hattie, Frederick Douglass, Professor Lincoln, Dean of Men, Dean Ridgeley, New York, North Star, Parson Brown, Erick Lincoln, Great Room, South House, Tom Barrett New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
8
books
cite this book:
See all 8 books citing this book
- Southern Christmas Literary Classics of the Holidays by Judy Long on 4 pages
- Great Black Writers: Biographies by M. K. Fullen on page 32, and Back Matter
- Where Are They Buried?: How Did They Die? Fitting Ends and Final Resting Places of the Famous, Infamous, and Noteworthy by Tod Benoit on page 299
- Endangered Species: Writers Talk About Their Craft, Their Visions, Their Lives by Lawrence Grobel on page 194
- The Creative Age: Awakening Human Potential in the Second Half of Life by M.D., Ph.D., Gene D. Cohen on page 240
See all 8 books citing this book
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Listmania!
|
|
