Bibliography Brown, Skila. 2016. To Stay Alive: Mary Ann Graves and the Tragic Journey of the Donner Party. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763678111 Review & Critical Analysis In this brand new novel in verse, Skila Brown recounts the long and arduous journey of Mary Ann Graves and her family to California in 1846. They were part of the well-known and tragic Donner party that was stuck in the snow unable to cross the Sierra Nevada mountains into California. Mary Ann, the nineteen-year-old daughter of Frank and Elizabeth Graves and one of nine children, tells the story of their travels through the four seasons. The family’s initial hope and excitement quickly turns to worry and despair as they take the southern route, the Hastings cutoff, and winter comes early. Readers will cling to Mary Ann’s every word as she struggles to survive and save the family that she loves. Before reviewing the poetic elements of this novel, first we must address the historical accuracy of this novel in verse. Brown does an exceptional job of providing accurate historical information to help the reader understand the true story behind the poems. The novel begins with a newspaper notice from 1846 stating that the Graves family is moving west and wishing to sell their home and land. It also lists all of the family members which was a very handy resource throughout the reading of the book. Brown also includes a map of the family’s journey with their route and the typical northern route clearly marked for reference. An epilogue is also included that finishes out Mary Ann’s story, as well as an author’s note with detailed historical information. The photograph of Mary Ann, taken in 1879, truly brings her character to life, as does the list of all the members of the Donner party, with those who died clearly marked. Brown provides many specific details about her research and retracing of their journey, and also provides some insight into the rumors that surrounded the tragic outcome. Overall, this novel in verse is historically accurate as it walks the line between fact and historical fiction. The poems included in this novel take many forms, shapes, and rhythms. All are told from Mary Ann’s perspective and are full of emotion. From the initial excitement and hope of a new life in California, to the desperation she feels searching for Sutter Fort to retrieve help for her family, Mary Ann’s voice is clear, strong, and effective. There are many poems, especially as the family realizes the severity of their situation, that are so deep and emotional they are almost overwhelming. The language, imagery, and emotion of the poems is so vivid that at times I had to take a break and process how I felt. Brown does an incredible job of connecting readers to an incredible journey full of courage, perseverance, and hope. The varying shapes and rhythms of the poems is engaging and appealing. No two poems are quite alike, keeping the reader on his/her toes. Even though most readers (hopefully) will not have personal experience with the events of the story, every reader can connect with the feelings and themes in the story. The emotional response elicited by the poems, especially the ones about the importance of family, are sure to leave a lasting impact, both emotional and historical with the reader. The overall quality of the poems is consistent and interesting. The shape of the poems and the rhythm helps convey the feelings and changing mood of the story. Brown does an excellent job arranging the poems both on the page and in the sequential order of the Graves’ journey through the seasons. Even without illustrations, the reader is able to picture the scene, characters, and events clearly through the imagery and language used by Brown. The additional resources she provides, like the map, author’s note, and “Donner Party” section help the reader understand the historical context of the story and make deeper connections to the story and characters. Overall, this is a fantastic, historical fiction novel in verse that provides a lasting emotional impact for the reader. This is a book that I plan to book talk with our English classes this spring. Spotlight Poem Snow At home snow meant extra layers for walking to the barn, extra quilts on the beds, extra logs brought in to dry before they found their crackle in the fire. At home snow meant snow cream made with milk and sugar, sliding down a hill on wooden boards, time inside, more sewing, more mending, more stories. At home snow meant more time, more work, more layers, all to reach the barn, feed the animals each day. Here snow means snow snow means covered snow means silence snow means stuck snow means trapped snow means starving. Here it’s as if we’re the animals in the barn, the snow is too big, too wide, too much, and no one is coming to feed us. Soon the blanket of white will cover us completely. In the spring, when people cross through this land, with the blanket gone, what will they find underneath? In this poem, found on page 173, Mary Ann compares her old life to her new life and the fear she has for the future of her family’s journey. The happiness of the first three stanzas is quickly muted by the desperation of the last, especially “with the blanket gone / what will they find underneath?” Even though readers will not have had this same experience, the deep emotions and feelings of this poem are highly relatable. I would introduce this poem during a social studies unit on the Donner party or westward expansion. I would read it aloud and ask the students to discuss how the feelings in the poem changed. Even though this wasn’t the exact experience of all those traveling west, each person had an arduous journey in some way. After reading the poem, I would retrace the journey of the Graves family on the map using an interactive medium (e.g. a Google Expedition) so students could experience the environment the settlers experienced. Another follow-up activity, if time allowed, would be to encourage the students to compose a free verse poem about their “experience” on the trail or the experience of the settlers they have learned about.
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AuthoRMy name is Mrs. Scott and I'm a secondary Media Resource Specialist (librarian) in Texas. This blog was created as part of my graduate coursework at Texas Woman's University. All reviews and opinions are my own. Archives
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