Imperfections

November 1, 2008
For 14-year-old Rosemary, her little brother, Isaac, and her baby sister, Anne, the Shaker village of Pleasant Hill, Ky., is a clean haven and welcome refuge from their father 's abuse and the violence of the Civil War. It 's also the prison to which their mother has abandoned them. Shakers believe they live in Heaven on earth, where humans must submit to perfect order. Rosemary —now Sister Bess —must sleep on her back, hands folded across her chest; she must always walk with her right foot first and take everything with her right hand. While Isaac 's anxiety leads him to embrace every Shaker rule, Rosemary fights back, making artistic but imperfect brooms and arguing that kittens should be allowed in the barns, narrating her rebellion in a homespun, present-tense voice. Gradually, as she campaigns for her own imperfections, she begins to see the Shakers as individuals, too, all trying to cover the imperfections that are the essence of their humanity; in doing so, she makes peace with her place in the Shaker village and her future outside it. Lovely and thought-provoking. (Historical fiction. 10-15)

(COPYRIGHT (2008) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

April 1, 2009
Gr 6-10-During the Civil War, Rosemary Elizabeth Lipking, 15, moves to the Shaker community located in Pleasant Hill, KY, with her mother, brother, and sister because of an abusive father. The Shakers welcome her with open arms, and at first she feels safe from her Pa and the war. Before long, though, she realizes that her mother has abandoned them. She is separated from her siblings and is now called Sister Bess. Women have to adhere to a specific regimen, which includes wearing spotless white garments, not mixing foods together, sleeping with arms crossed like an angel, attending several worships a day, and not talking to the opposite sex. Rosemary vows to be perfect so she will be allowed to stay, but no matter how hard she tries, she finds herself breaking the rules. When she realizes that not everything is as perfect as it appears, she is determined to find her own path and maybe even leave once the war is over. Durrant has created a strong, determined, and likable character to tell of the hardships of Shaker life. Unfortunately, the book ends abruptly, and readers are left wondering what happens to Rosemary. Still, the story is interesting, and the theme of finding oneself will resonate with many teens."Shannon Seglin, Patrick Henry Library, Vienna, VA"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2008
Grades 6-9 When Rosemary Elizabeths mother deposits herthree children at the Shaker community of Pleasant Hill, Kentucky, the 14-year-old thinks she might have found heaven on earth. Safe from her violent, alcoholic father and the Civil War raging around her, she struggles to walk the Shaker path, holding on to the hope of her mothers return. It is hard, she discovers, to attain Shaker perfection and keep your sense of self. This carefully crafted novel lovingly details the strengths of the Shaker world: attention to cleanliness; delicious, abundant food; simplicity and utility in all its designs; the way hard work keeps a mind occupied. However, in spite of these attractions, the strongly independent Rosemary Elizabeth is constantly at odds with the Shakerideals; imperfections are part of what makes an individual unique. Built around a historical incidenta visit by the soldiers of Morgans Raiders to Pleasant Hill in 1862this fine coming-of-age novel rewards readers with an unusual glimpse into a rarely portrayed religionas well as a different perspective on the Civil War.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)