Recently I finished reading A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly which is a piece of historical fiction. In my other book reviews I’ve utilized the guidelines of whether the book is socially relevant, if it could be used in a multicultural classroom, and if it showcases literary technique. For this book, however, I’m going to use different guidelines. When I read this book I found myself wondering if this was a book that accurately represented the time period and whether it attempted to correct historical biases.
I found myself initially hesitant about whether I would enjoy this book or not because I don’t often venture into the realm of historical fiction. In fact, I think the last time I had read a historical fiction work was when I was obsessed with the Little House on the Prairie series. Soon after I started the book, however, I found myself engrossed in learning about what had happened to poor Grace Brown and whether Mattie Gokey would follow her dreams. In this book the reader is often left unsure if Mattie’s dreams or the expectations of others will win out which creates an interesting dynamic.
The book takes place in the Adirondacks during 1906. Donnelly shows us the life of a sixteen year old girl, Mattie Gokey, who lives on a farm and has recently taken over the responsibilities of caring for everyone. Mattie’s mother passed away, and now on top of her farm chores she’s expected to take care of the cooking and cleaning. This is often difficult because Mattie is still attending school, which was rare during this period of time for women. Mattie excels at writing and has the chance to attend college. The only problem is that money is tight, and Mattie’s father expects her to stay in the area and settle down. When one of the farm animals dies Mattie takes a summer job at a hotel to help pay for a replacement. During this time Mattie is saving money for what she thinks will be her first home of her own. While working at the hotel a young woman, Grace Brown, dies in a boating accident and Mattie is left with letters and the real story behind Grace’s death.
One aspect of this book that I truly appreciated was the fact that it was so accurate to the time period. Donnelly presents the reader with how life on the farm was, the challenges that women faced, and the struggles African American’s faced during this time. Mattie’s best friend, Weaver, is a young African American male who longs to attend school so that he can become a lawyer. He faces racism throughout the whole novel.
Another aspect of this book that I thought was wonderful was the fact that it attempted to correct historical biases. What I mean by this is that if we looked at this same book but it had been written during 1906 we would mostly likely not see Weaver portrayed in a positive light. Donnelly, however, took the character of Weaver and his struggle and expressed what many African Americans probably felt at the time. One of the most moving passages about Weaver is found when Weaver is talking about how African American people are not really free, “Until his people can work anywhere whites work, and speak their minds freely, and write books and get them publish, until white men are punished for strining up black men, no black person will ever really be free” (Donnelly ,33). The reader is really able to see how much of a struggle it is for African Americans at this time who have been in recent years freed from slavery. Donnelly could have easily chose to ignore this issue and just have Weaver be Mattie’s friend, but instead, Weaver is presented as a real person with real feelings.
Ultimately this book would be a great way to explore history in a fun way that a lot of students could easily understand. I would use it within my classroom.
Works Cited
Donnelly, Jennifer. A Northern Light. Orlando: Harcourt Inc, 2003.
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