leasummer's review against another edition
4.0
This was an enjoyable read set between the past and present. The writing is lyrical and really paints a picture. You can feel the angst of what life must have been like in the villages as they changed against their wishes and as they fought to hold on to their ways.
crystal_reading's review against another edition
3.0
A few years ago, I was lucky enough to travel to the Olympic Penninsula. I loved seeing it again through Written in Stone. Parry painted a picture of the landscape and I almost felt the fog roll in as I read. It is interesting to see the land, but also the time frame. There aren't that many middle grade books set in the 20s.
More than the setting though, the relationships in the story appealed to me. Pearl has lost both her parents and her sister, but she is surrounding by a caring extended family. Pearl's Aunt Susi works in town and lives on her own. She is a role model and a mentor who stands by Pearl, but also holds her accountable for her actions. Susi brings out the best in Pearl. More than anything else, this is a story of family and the strength that family can inspire.
Roseanne Parry taught on the Quinault Indian reservation. In this text, she has worked hard to respectfully portray the Quinault and Makah people and their history. She explained that she wanted to create a story that would let her students see characters like them. She shared some aspects of the culture, but was careful not to appropriate their stories. She alluded to several characters from stories, but did not explain out of respect. This was a difficult balancing act of utilizing the history to create something new without using the stories of the people because as she wrote in the author's note, "they are not mine to tell." I appreciated that she didn't just make up tales to go along with her narrative but let it stand on its own.
I would recommend Written in Stone. It provides a look into a time, place and culture that many children would not otherwise experience.
Originally published on Reading Through Life http://readingtl.blogspot.com/2013/10/review-written-in-stone.html
More than the setting though, the relationships in the story appealed to me. Pearl has lost both her parents and her sister, but she is surrounding by a caring extended family. Pearl's Aunt Susi works in town and lives on her own. She is a role model and a mentor who stands by Pearl, but also holds her accountable for her actions. Susi brings out the best in Pearl. More than anything else, this is a story of family and the strength that family can inspire.
Roseanne Parry taught on the Quinault Indian reservation. In this text, she has worked hard to respectfully portray the Quinault and Makah people and their history. She explained that she wanted to create a story that would let her students see characters like them. She shared some aspects of the culture, but was careful not to appropriate their stories. She alluded to several characters from stories, but did not explain out of respect. This was a difficult balancing act of utilizing the history to create something new without using the stories of the people because as she wrote in the author's note, "they are not mine to tell." I appreciated that she didn't just make up tales to go along with her narrative but let it stand on its own.
I would recommend Written in Stone. It provides a look into a time, place and culture that many children would not otherwise experience.
Originally published on Reading Through Life http://readingtl.blogspot.com/2013/10/review-written-in-stone.html
yapha's review against another edition
4.0
The Makah have a long tradition of whale hunts to provide for the tribe. But on this hunt, which became their last, Pearl's father died and the whales have disappeared. Having lost her mother and brother in the influenza epidemic five years earlier, Pearl has never felt more alone. Now she must figure out where where she fits both in the changing tribe and the modern world outside it. And how will the tribe survive without the whales that they depended on? This is a timeless tale of finding one's place in society and balancing old traditions with new ideas. Recommended for grades 5-8.
stenaros's review against another edition
4.0
I was a great fan of Island of the Blue Dolphins as a child (though I haven't read it since) and this book left me in the same place. It's a well-crafted tale of a Native American girl living on the Olympic Peninsula in the 1920's. The story is moving and full of details and the author, who is not Native American, seems to have worked hard to respect the Native American culture.
jennybeastie's review against another edition
4.0
Rosanne Parry has gotten a lot of flack for this book, and I think that's unfair. I found it to be a sensitively written, sincere attempt at writing great historical fiction with a native main character. It was a good story that celebrated native life in the pacific Northwest in the 1920s. Well done.
libscote's review against another edition
5.0
I really liked this one, especially the end matter. The amount of respect with which Parry treats the community she is writing about and the topics is astounding. An excellent title.
ellsbeth's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this story and the care that was taken to tell it. The information included after the story to help readers learn more about native culture is appreciated. I find myself looking for ways to include it in my teaching and I look forward to reading more of Rosanne Perry's books.
libscote's review against another edition
5.0
I really liked this one, especially the end matter. The amount of respect with which Parry treats the community she is writing about and the topics is astounding. An excellent title.
satyridae's review
4.0
This story, told from the viewpoint of a young Makah girl, daughter of a whaler/storyteller, is lovely. It takes place after WW1, and is a piece of Native history that I haven't read much about. Everything is in transition, and it's pretty clear which direction things are moving. Parry writes with sensitivity and delicacy, but manages to communicate the grief underlying the events unfolding with clarity and emotional impact. I loved the device of the first and last chapters being in the very-near past, it was a relief to know that some of the old ways were saved.
I'm sometimes impatient with afterwords, wishing that the story could just stand alone, but the afterword here I liked- though I'm not sure it was essential.
Review copy provided by the publisher.
I'm sometimes impatient with afterwords, wishing that the story could just stand alone, but the afterword here I liked- though I'm not sure it was essential.
Review copy provided by the publisher.
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