Storyteller

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