By Clare Vanderpool
Delacorte Press
Publication date: October 12, 2010 (paperback coming out December 27, 2011)
ISBN: 978-0385738835
I've recently made it my goal to read more award-winning children's literature. In doing so, I decided to pick up Moon Over Manifest, which received the Newbery Award along with many other accolades. The cover is cute, a little girl walking along the tracks, and synopsis interesting enough. But, upon simply checking it out, I had no clue what kind of adventure I had in store for me.
In 1936 and the Depression has overtaken the states. A rough 13-year-old Abilene Tucker, who's used to living life here and there, never settled down, is shipped to Manifest, Kansas while her dad works on the tracks. Manifest was his home for a bit, but he hasn't been back; all Abilene knows are the stories she's told her late at night. In Manifest, Abilene means a ragtag group of memorable characters, including her caretaker Shady, a bootlegger turned pastor; Lettie and Ruthanne, cousins who quickly befriend her; Hattie Mae Macke, the kind reporter; and Miss Sadie, a diviner who lives down the Path to Perdition. Wanting to know more about her mysterious father, Abilene stumbles upon a tin full of old trinkets and letters from Ned to Jinx. Through Miss Sadie, Abeline pieces together the story of the towns past, what happened in 1918 when her father lived there. From these stories, she learns more about the rundown town, her father, herself, and what home really means.
The book jumps back and forth from 1936 to 1918, but it's never confusing. The characters are the same, so as the 1918 story unfolds, you see vignettes of characters still alive in 1936. You piece together their stories, as well as the towns story. With the 1918 stories also come Ned's letters and copies of Haddie Mae's news articles from the time period. These different ways of seeing the past make it so much more inclusive. And not once is it confusing.
The historical aspect of the story is actually top notch. The time period was fascinating, and the book gently touches on topics such as bootlegging, orphan trains, the KKK, immigration and more. While the book is merely a work of fiction, the town (based on Frontenac, Kansas) comes alive, along with all of the residents. You can almost smell Mama Santoni's pasta sauce, or feel the parched dry feeling of no rain.
And the characters, the characters were the best part. I wanted to run through the woods with Jinx, catch frogs with Abilene, feel the desks, listen to the diviner speak, and participate in the town meetings. Truly, the story involves you, wraps you up until you're a towns member as well. While there are a lot of characters to keep track of, a handy guide at the beginning of the book helps the reader stay focused. Also, a historical guide at the back places truth within the story read. The book is rich with history, yet never bogs you down.
Quite frankly, I loved the book. It's a phenomenally written middle-grade novel that'll appeal to all ages and both genders. (While the main character is female, the detailed stories about Ned and Jinx will keep male readers interested.) It's fascinating, absorbing, and just wonderfully written. It takes you to another time period almost effortlessly and puts you right in on the action. It's a book that'll stick with me, popping up to say hi every time I see a train track.
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