--A well done and fascinating story--
Rating:
5 / 5
Because of my interest in the South during the Revolutionary War period, a librarian mentioned this book to me. It's considered a "young adult" story, but it is certainly worth reading and the history it supplied was exactly what I was looking for.
CAST TWO SHADOWS takes place in South Carolina and details the privileged life of 14-year old Caroline Whitaker. Caroline, the daughter of a wealthy plantation owner has been very fortunate and up until now, has had a wonderful life. Now, that life has abruptly changed because of the Revolutionary War. Since her father is a Patriot and her brother sided with the British, Caroline's feelings are conflicted. To make matters even worse, the British hang her best friend and she is a witness to the horrible spectacle.
The title is also a reference to Caroline's situation in life. Raised as the daughter of a white family, she has to recognize her other shadow. Her grandmother, Miz Melindy is a slave on the plantation. Faced with hardships, Caroline's learns to confront life and trust her instincts. She also learns to understand the two very different sides of her background. This book is filled with interesting characters, both real and fictional.
CELIA GARTH is another wonderful book that takes place in South Carolina during the Revolutionary War.
A Great Historical Fiction Book
Rating:
5 / 5
When my eighth grade English teacher told my class that we had to read a historical fiction book for a book project, I thought I was doomed. I didn't particularly want to read a book about boring history. I searched and searched everywhere for an exciting book that I would like and finally I found the book Cast Two Shadows by Ann Rinaldi. I had heard Ann Rinaldi was a terrific writer, so I thought I would give this book a try. I am very glad I picked this book because it is definately not just a boring historical book.
The book took place in Camden, South Carolina, just after the Revolutionary War had arrived there. It is about a fourteen-year-old girl named Caroline Witaker and how her world has been turned upsidedown because of the war. Her Patriot father who is the leading rebel in Camden has just been taken off to jail by the British and her brother is off fighting for the British on the opposite side of the war. Her best friend has just been hung by the British and her sister has fallen in love with the British officer who took over Caroline's house. Throughout this book, Caroline is forced to face conflicts within herself and make tough decisions that will impact her life and the life of her family forever.
I enjoyed this book very much and thought it was certainly worth my time. The beginning was a little bit slow and kind of confusing, but once I got past the first few chapters, the story got really exciting and it didn't want to put it down. The book had a good plot, was very interesting, and actually helped me learn a lot about our country's history without it being boring. It taught me so much about the Revolutionary War that I probably would have never known and it helped me to understand what life was like back then. Another thing I liked about it was that it put me in the place of Caroline Witaker and made me feel like I was her. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good historical fiction book or even just a good leisure book.
Drawing Strength from her Dual Heritage
Rating:
3 / 5
It is the summer of 1780 in hot South Carolina--a tense time for plantation owners who must make a serious political choice:
remain loyal to the King or declare for American independence.
The situation at the Whitaker plantation is painful: the father in a local prison, with threats of being sold in the Bahamas; the young scion of the family off fighting with guerilla patriots; the mother and two daughters virtually kept prisoners in their own home by a pompous British officer who has taken over the place as his headquarters under distant Lord Cornwallis. These red-coated invaders think they can Take or Do whatever they want; no mere Colonial can prevent theft and other war atrocities. Fourteen-year-old Caroline comes of age that summer, starting on the day she watches her dear friend, Kit, be hanged for foolishly attacking the British--who let his body rot for 3 weeks as a message. Realizing that she is carrying around the ghosts of several people dear to her inside her head, Caroline aches for peace and simple freedom of movement. But this spunky girl, who always squabbles with her vain older sister, discovers shocking truths about her own origins--that she is the light-skinned granddaugther of a tough old "trick negra" in the slave quartes. Why would her mother permt the brat of a slave woman to be raised as her own? What hateful deal was made 12 years ago to keep peace on the plantation? But could the entire truth prove a dangerous thing?
Acclaimed for her well-researched novels of historical fiction, Rinaldi has recreated the spirit of frustration and defiance by Southern patriots in the latter stages of the American Revolution. Many incidents in the story were documented, although her characters are her own creation. Such curious cases as Caroline's double heritage were possible.
The protagonist must draw strength and resilience from both
races, to honor the three people of her true family. Forced to make terrible adult decisions, Caroline must choose between one race or the other; between her own folks or horseflesh. This book reads quickly with its extensive dialogue and swift plotting--captivating readers and holding our interest. We agonize with Caroline as she counts up the images huddled shamefully within her heart, while we admire her sauciness and persistence in defying Col. Rawdon, the popinjay whom Miz Melindy loves to hate. Will Caroline ever comes to terms with her her treacherous sister? More importantly, how can she prove loyal to--and worthy of--her own dual heritage? This is great reading for teens and adults.
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