Abilene’s father needs to go it alone for a while, so
Abilene finds herself depending upon the kindness of a stranger named Shady in
Manifest, Kansas, 1936. It’s the beginning
of a long, hot summer, and she has the whole summer to wonder if her father
will come back for her at all. When she
finds a cigar box stuffed with Jinx’s mementos under the floorboards of her
room, Abilene begins to uncover the secrets of his past, the with only a broken
pocket watch to connect them.
Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
With her new friends, Ruthanne and Lettie, Abilene sets out
to make known Manifest’s past. Using mementos and letters from Ned in Jinx’s box, old newspaper clippings, and the divinings of Miss
Sadie, the girls learn that there is much more to their sleepy little
town than meets the eye. Tales emerge
about con men, bootlegging, murder, the KKK, love and loss. Soon Abilene learns the truth of Miss Sadie’s
words: Who would dream that one can love without being crushed under the
weight of it?
Vanderpool’s Newbery-award winning novel packs a
whallop. It’s two historical novels for
the price of one. At the height of the
Great Depression, Abilene uncovers the history of Manifest in 1918—a summer of
Prohibition, proclamations and promises.
The layers of narrative are thick, but not heavy—“like a warm blanket
you pull around your shoulders.”
Vanderpool’s use of motifs and themes is skillful storytelling,
especially the device of the railroad, so prominent in early 20th-century
history, to keep the characters and the stories connected.
I recommend this book to readers Grade 8 and up, as it might
be helpful to them to have some historical understanding when switching back
and forth between the narratives, although the use of varying fonts to tell different
stories is helpful. For adults,
especially those of us who like historical novels, this book is a sweet
must-read that will take you back to your childhood.
Vanderpool, Claire. 2010.
Moon Over Manifest. New York:
Delacorte. ISBN: 978-0-385-73883-5.
