After the Ashes

Gr 4–6—Based on the catastrophic explosion of the volcano island Krakatoa in 1883, Joiner's historical novel tells the story of 13-year-old Katrien, a Dutch girl who has spent her entire life in the Dutch East Indies. She feels most at home exploring the jungle with her best friend, Slamet, an indigenous boy, and collecting beetles to prove Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. Katrien is also close to her father, who has encouraged her interest in the natural world, until recently when he seems to have joined forces with Tante Greet to teach Katrien to become "a productive member of society." After a series of events, both in the natural world and in Katrien's close-knit community, which foreshadow the impending disaster, Krakatoa erupts, leaving Katrien alone to navigate the destruction and chaos on her beloved island. She joins forces with another survivor, Brigitta Burkart, who had been Katrien's closest friend until Brigitta's 10th birthday when the two girls dramatically parted ways. Alone in the jungle with all familiar markings washed away by destructive waves, the girls make their way through realistically portrayed scenes of human loss, come to terms with their youthful misjudgments, and realize that their survival depends on mutual trust and collaboration.