Storyteller

Starred review from September 6, 2010
This novel by two-time Newbery Honor author Giff gracefully bridges two eras and two insightful perspectives. Elizabeth is a contemporary girl who goes to stay with her late mother's sister, Libby, while her father is away. There, she is captivated by a drawing of a young woman who looks remarkably like her: Zee, an ancestor whose patriot father died fighting in the American Revolution and whose mother was killed when their cabin was ambushed. Through thoughtfully crafted narratives that alternate between each heroine—Elizabeth's story is told in the third-person present tense, Zee's interior monologue is written in the past tense—Giff draws parallels between the two. Both are tenacious yet self-deprecating, have lost family, and are uprooted and searching for a sense of belonging. A roughly drawn map on the back of Zee's portrait and the scattered information Libby and a cousin know about their ancestors help Elizabeth assemble the pieces of Zee's life and become the present-day teller of her story. As she brings these characters and history alive, Giff again demonstrates her own gift for storytelling. Ages 8–14.

August 15, 2010
When her artist father is invited to Australia, Elizabeth must stay with an aunt she barely knows. There she comes to learn more about her family, which traces its history back to the Revolutionary War in upstate New York, and—even more important—Eliza, nicknamed Zee, an ancestor whose framed drawing graces her aunt's wall and whom Elizabeth uncannily resembles. The novel is narrated in alternate chapters as Elizabeth and Zee, presumably young teens, tell their stories in the 21st and 18th centuries, respectively. Readers will be intrigued by their similarities—klutzy and forgetful, yet strong-willed and resourceful. The more compelling drama is Zee's, whose family is caught up in the conflict of colonists torn between loyalties to crown or American patriotism. History is truly in the small details, and Zee's story, narrated in first person, past tense, is fascinating and adventurous. Elizabeth's voice is an odd choice, however. Her narration, in third person, present tense, is coolly distancing. Still, this is a lovely story about love and loss, a little-known aspect of Revolutionary history and the way the past informs the present, and the ending is gratifying. (author's note) (Fiction. 10-14)

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

November 1, 2010

Gr 5-7-Giff juxtaposes two stories to highlight a little-known piece of Revolutionary War history. Present-day Elizabeth has been sent to stay with her deceased mother's sister while her father travels to Australia. Resistant at first, she gradually becomes comfortable with her Aunt Libby and is fascinated by a drawing of an ancestor, a girl who lived through the War for Independence. Zee narrates her dramatic story: living on a farm in upstate New York, her Patriot family is pitted against Loyalist neighbors. When her father and brother leave for battle, her house is attacked and burned and her mother is killed. Handicapped by hands burned in the fire, she sets off to find her father and brother and is caught up in what has come to be known as the Battle of Oriskany. While Elizabeth knows nothing of Zee's story, she is helped by her reclusive Uncle Harry, a history buff, to piece together events by visiting the site of the battle and of Zee's home. Another discovery is made in an antiques shop where Harry has found other drawings, presumably of Zee, by the same artist who did Libby's drawing. Through this experience, Elizabeth acknowledges her own storytelling ability, an implied connection between the two girls. Zee's story is compelling, and, by embedding many historical details, including the role of the Iroquois in the conflict, into the vehicle of Elizabeth's trip with her uncle, the novel barely escapes didacticism. The fast-paced narrative, toggling back and forth between the 18th and 21st centuries, will keep readers interested.-Marie Orlando, North Shore Public Library, Shoreham, NY

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2010
Grades 4-7 What determination they had to build this country, marvels a character in this moving novel, set partly during the Revolutionary War. Giff shows young readers the truth in that sentiment through the perspectives of two young girls: Elizabeth, a contemporary kid who is staying with her aunt, and her ancestor, Zee, an eighteenth-century farm girl. Intrigued by a picture of Zee in her aunts house, Elizabeth researches the tragic events that led to the burning of Zees home, the death of her mother, and the battle at Oriskany. Giffs use of everyday, period details brings immediacy to Zees story, while the well-integrated themes, including the loss of a parent and the girls struggles to feel useful, further unite the two stories, both told in compelling voices. The horror of war is clearly conveyed without graphic specifics, and the historical framework makes this a strong classroom choice. It is the intertwined, personal stories of the two girls, though, that will win hearts, and the characters growing maturity and discovery of their strengths will resonate strongly with young readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)