Bibliography Crowe, Chris. 2014. Death Coming Up the Hill. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 9780544302150 Review & Critical Analysis This book, written entirely in haiku, is the moving story of seventeen-year-old Ashe and his experiences growing up in 1968 torn between two wars, the war in his home and the war in Vietnam. As Ashe struggles in the fight between his strict (racist) father and peace-activist mother, he also struggles to understand the war in Vietnam and cope with its effect on those he loves. In the end, Ashe is forced to make a difficult decision; choosing sides in the war at home or entering the fight abroad. This book does a fantastic job of bringing Ashe’s character and feelings to life in haiku. Even though there is no rhyme, there is definite rhythm to the words in each poem. Crowe uses realistic imagery and startling facts (like the number of soldiers killed each week in Vietnam) to bring the time and place of the story to life. The reader truly feels Ashe’s emotions as he struggles to comprehend his losses at home and in the war, fall in love for the first time, and make life-changing decisions to save his family. One of the most emotional parts of this book is Crowe’s dedication to the lives lost in Vietnam. The book is made up of 16,592 syllables, one for each U.S. soldier who died in Vietnam in 1968. Another poignant and emotional moment is the last stanza of the last poem, “I see Death coming / up the hill, and I am not / ready to meet him.” Death Coming Up the Hill is very appealing for young adult readers. Not only will they be able to relate to Ashe’s character as a young person during changing social and political times, many will be able to understand his feelings as his family is torn apart. For those who do not have this experience, the theme of first love may resonate as Ashe meets Angela. The theme of family is also evident in the way that Ashe feels about his mother and new baby sister, and his reaction to protect them at all costs. The most appealing aspect of this book, however, is its true life glimpse into 1968 through Ashe’s eyes. Crowe does an outstanding job of making the characters, setting, and plot believable seventeen syllables of haiku at a time. Readers will be drawn into Ashe’s life and struggles, and relate to his coming of age story. These haiku poems are consistent and emotional without being overly sentimental. The poems are organized with the Month and Year as the headers, as well as the week (e.g. Week 15) and a number. This number represents the number of soldiers killed that week in the line of duty in Vietnam. This is a touching reminder of one of the major themes and influences of this book. There is a table of contents at the beginning and a historical note and author’s note at the end. The historical note gives background to the Vietnam war and 1968 including how Crowe found the statistics for those killed each week. The author’s note tells more about where the idea for this book came from, the struggles he had writing it, and the meaning behind the numbers and the story. I enjoyed the historical fiction and haikus in this book. One of my favorite details is that the last two stanzas of the book are based on an actual letter written by a soldier in Vietnam before he died in the assault on Hamburger Hill. These words are incredibly emotional and tie the story up with a question, what happened to Ashe next? We will never know, but we are left with feelings that many people felt during that time; hope and fear. This story is an incredible work of poetry that will leave a lasting impression on any reader. Spotlight Poem April 1968 Week Fifteen: 363 As a kid, I dreamed of becoming a hero. War movies had taught me that the hero saved his buddies by diving on a live grenade, so in our childhood war games I always played that guy. Someday, I thought, my valor would earn me a Medal of Honor. Things changed when I got older and learned that real war is nothing like the movies. I started wondering if I had what it took to be a hero. Would I have the guts to cover a live grenade for my friends? Would I sacrifice my life for someone else? Sometimes that’s exactly what a guy doesn’t want to learn about himself. The thing is, there are all kinds of grenades in life; you don’t have to go to Vietnam to find them. I knew that. This poem, found on page 62, provides a great description of Ashe’s maturation as he starts to realize that life has all kinds of “grenades” to face. It’s also illustrates his “coming of age,” as he realizes his family is splitting up and things will never be the same again. I would introduce this poem to students by reading it aloud then reflecting on what Ashe meant when he said “The thing is, there are / all kinds of grenades / in life; you don’t have / to go to Vietnam to / find them.” I would discuss with the class what kinds of “grenades” he might be talking about. As a follow up activity, I would have the students reflect in their writing journals about a “grenade” they have had to face or what they would do if they had to face one of the issues Ashe is dealing with in this book/poem. They could even attempt a reflection in haiku! This book would also be a great literature piece to incorporate in conjunction with an American history class. Students would benefit from the youthful perspective of Ashe and relate to his feelings, emotions, and actions.
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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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