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Summary: ANOTHER WINNER by author Wendy Lawton!
Review: "The last time Mary saw her English home she stood tiptoe on a wooden crate so she could peer over the salty-tasting rail. ...The stone walls and arched bridges guarding the town of Sandwich eventually faded into the shimmer of water as the flap, flap, flap of sails being unfurled signaled that she was headed into the unknown."Wendy Lawton is fast becoming a favorite author due to her exquisite storytelling skills. Through the eyes of thirteen-year-old Mary Chilton, we experience the struggles and triumphs of the Separatists (early Pilgrims) in ALMOST HOME, the third tale in the "Daughters of the Faith" series published by Moody. Lawton expertly handles historical details with insight and sensitivity, such as how the Church of England, "though still called a church...was not a place where people often met Christ or deepened their faith." And later, when the Mayflower lands at Plymouth and the newcomers fear the natives, Mary and her friends conclude, "Some of the stories of savagery may be true, just as they are for our people. Other parts of the stories may arise from lack of understanding...who is to say that God, if we are indeed following His leading in coming here, is not, even now, working in the hearts of some of these who look like savages to us?" This sets the stage for Samoset and Squanto, Native Americans who later assist the settlers. This type of careful thoughtfulness flows just under the surface of this well-written account. Lesser known facts appear as well, such as the travelers starting their voyage with two ships, but serious leakage problems on the Speedwell force all 102 passengers onto the Mayflower. We also catch a glimpse of the conflict between travelers on board, widely divided by their beliefs--the religious Separatists and the non-believing Strangers. This book is excellent for discussion about religious freedom, learning about the sacrifices and lives of the early settlers, studying geography (the route of the settlers), and discovering turns of phrases unique to that time period (daydreaming = "woolgathering"). Lawton includes an epilogue and interesting glossary of words. The cover is beautiful full-color, and makes a delightful gift for yourself and/or those you love. In the end, Mary Chilton discovers that "home" is not a place after all. Read ALMOST HOME to find out what it is. Get this book! Kimn Swenson Gollnick ...
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Summary: A glimpse of the true Mayflower
Review: Between the romance of the Pilgrims' story with which I grew up and the story that our children hear today falls the truth, and I believe Wendy Lawton has shown quite a bit of that truth in her story, Almost Home. In their quest to escape religious persecution in England and again in Holland, the Pilgrims put their faith in their God to carry them across the waters in a vessel that should have carried no more than half of the number that it brought to freedom. We see this trip through the eyes of Mary Chilton, a 13-year-old girl who must bear the pain of leaving her older siblings behind to go with her parents in order that they all might start a new life. Mary soon finds that that loss is just the beginning, and she struggles to find God's love through trials of sickness, loss, and starvation. The book includes a glossary that explains the unfamiliar terms which Ms. Lawton uses to take the reader back into the early 17th century; also, an epilogue gives a glimpse of Mary's life as an adult in her new home. A wonderful, challenging book for young ladies who are interested in history and in strong young female characters.
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Summary: A must read--Great for homeschoolers, too!
Review: If you want your daughters to better understand the richness of their heritage, and the blessings they have being American, this is the book to buy! It covers the challenges of the voyage to the New World, but also the hope and the reason for the voyage in the first place. It's great for homeschoolers, and lends itself to many possible tie-ins. We did: write a letter home to Isabella to tell about your trip; Write to Isabella about your first year; Keep a diary on the trip. We read it aloud to my 8-year-old, who loved it, and my 5-year-old, who sat through most of it (which was impressive for her). Highly recommended!
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Summary: An impressive work of art
Review: In "Almost Home," thirteen year-old Mary Chilton longs for a permanent home. Being a Separatist has been difficult for Mary and her family. They left England because of persecution, now ten years later Mary hears rumors of another uprooting. Mary is unsure of leaving, and wonders, Am I the only one to feel like a dandelion puff about to be blown to the wind? The heartaches begin when Mary leaves family members behind. Living on the Mayflower is filled with hardships, beyond her worst imaginings. In time, this helps Mary to see that home is more than a place. Wendy Lawton's words sing on the page and carried me back to Time and Place. Dialogue is easy and meaningful. The language grounded me in 1620. Possible unfamiliar words are italicized to look up in the glossary. Mrs. Lawton does an excellent job with documentation and an epilogue supporting the facts of Mary Chilton and her family, the Pilgrims, and the Mayflower voyage. "Almost Home" will be a hit among young readers. The story will have them looking at maps to follow Mary Chilton's adventure on the Mayflower, and where she steps foot on land in the New World. The book entertains, satisfies the curiosity about our first American anscestors, and allows us to feel the cost paid for the Pilgrim's freedom to express their faith.
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Summary: Bringing History To Life
Review: Lawton has done a fabulous job of bringing a familiar story about the Pilgrims on the Mayflower to life by putting us right there on the boat. We see their struggles, we see their sacrifice, and we see their faith in a God that always provides. Lawton tells the story through the eyes of a girl named Mary Chilton about the Pilgrims long and dangerous journey from Holland to Plymouth Rock. Mary is on a quest, like most of the Pilgrims to find a place to call home. Her family moves from Kent, England to Holland to escape the clutches of the Church of England--which by then had become like a branch of the English government. Officials from England followed the Pilgrims into Holland and consequently, Holland didn't feel like home to the Pilgrims either. They set sail for New England (America) to find a place where they will be free to worship God how they see fit and to have land of their own. As the Pilgrims struggle with homesickness, seasickness, scurvy and eventually pneumonia, they continue to hold out hope that America will be a place that they can call home. Textbooks tell us that over half the Pilgrims died before they were settled in America. Lawton makes it much more personal and real. As we follow Mary Chilton, we watch in sadness as both of her parents die. We see Mary hanging on to the words of her mother about the providence of God, even when they couldn't see him at work. Young women (and hopefully young men) will read this book for enjoyment, but they will come away with a better understanding of who the Pilgrims were and ultimately who we are as Americans.
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Summary: Mary Chilton is 'Almost Home'
Review: Mary Chilton is 13. She feels as if she doesn't belong anywhere. Though she likes it well enough in Holland, it isn't really home. Born in England, she and her family, along with many other 'separatist' families fled to Holland because England would not let them worship God in their own way. When Mary learns that they will be going to America, she begins to hope that she may finally find a home. But when they leave, it is just Mary, Mother and Father. Her older sisters remain behind, and so do some of her best friends. It is a sad parting when they leave Holland, while at the same time there is eagerness in the thoughts of getting to the New World. But first they have to stop in England. In England they board the Mayflower, which will carry them to America, but there are many alarming delays before they are finally underway, and it is so late by then that they knew it would be winter before they got there. A dangerous winter storm hits and the little band of Pilgrims become very sick with the motion of the rocking and pitching of the ship throughout the storm. Only a few stay healthy enough to take care of the rest, and many burdens are thrust on Mary's young shoulders. Yet as each day passes, Mary's thoughts keep her thinking "Almost home...I'm almost home." When the storm finally subsides, the passengers discover they have been blown off course, and are far north of their intended landing in Virginia. It is bitter cold when they finally make shore at Plymouth Rock, and their little group is not as large as when they left the shores of England. It is November, their supplies are either all gone or spoiled, and they won't be able to plant any crops until spring. This is the story of a couragous girl who dreams of 'belonging' and finds that her sense of 'home' might not be what she thought it was. This is the third book in Wendy Lawton's "Daughters of the Faith" Series and should become a part of every library in every family home. A *must* read, along with the other two books in the series: "The Courage To Run," about young Harriet Tubman, and "The Tinker's Daughter," a story about young Mary Bunyan, the blind daughter of John Bunyan, author of "The Pilgrim's Progress." In all three, Wendy Lawton has painted a picture of youthful struggles with big issues, and weaves the love of God and the faithful way in which He deals with his children.
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Summary: Wonderful historical fiction.
Review: Thirteen-year-old Mary Chilton has lived in Leyden, Holland almost her entire life; she was not yet three years old when her family fled England in search of religious freedom. But neither England nor Holland feels like her real home to Mary. She has always longed for a place to truly belong. When her parents decide to join other English Separatists living in Holland who are planning to settle in the New World, she feels a mixture of sorrow at leaving behind friends, neighbors, and her three adults sisters, and joy at the thought that she might finally find a place to call home. But the sea voyage on the Mayflower is long and dangerous, filled with storms and sickness, and the difficulties do not end when they finally reach the New World.
Wendy Lawton has brought to life the story of Mary Chilton, a real girl who was a passenger on the Mayflower in 1620. I really enjoyed this book, and I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy historical fiction, particularly those who have a special interest in the Pilgrims or Colonial America.
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Summary: Excellence at it's best!
Review: This is the second book by Wendy Lawton that I have read with my classroom in mind. It is a great read for both the young and the vast majority of us older adults. Almost Home is the story of May Chilton and her wondrous voyage to America on the Mayflower! Well written with just enough dialogue to make the characters come alive, the book is not overly "wordy" for children. The plot is great and the theme warm...this tale definitely keeps the audience captive. As with many other books by Lawton, this too has a delightful moral. The greatest part of this well researched book is that it is biographical and thus opens a dialogue between adults and precocious children. Not only about the Mayflower and the founding of america but also family value, I recommend this book for both the night stand and also the classroom.
Way to go Wendy!
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Summary: Excellence at it's best!
Review: This is the second book by Wendy Lawton that I have read with my classroom in mind. It is a great read for both the young and the vast majority of us older adults. Almost Home is the story of May Chilton and her wondrous voyage to America on the Mayflower! Well written with just enough dialogue to make the characters come alive, the book is not overly "wordy" for children. The plot is great and the theme warm...this tale definitely keeps the audience captive. As with many other books by Lawton, this too has a delightful moral. The greatest part of this well researched book is that it is biographical and thus opens a dialogue between adults and precocious children. Not only about the Mayflower and the founding of america but also family value, I recommend this book for both the night stand and also the classroom.
Way to go Wendy!
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Summary: Buy this book!
Review: Wendy Lawton's Almost Home, the third in her Daughters of Faith series, belongs on the shelf of every girl you know and in every school/church library. The story of Mary Chilton grabs your imagination and holds it captive until you finish the book! As other reviewers have mentioned, the details, dialogue, accuracy and content excel. I don't remember the Pilgrim's story riveting my attention like this when first I heard it. The beauty of Wendy Lawton's books for me remains that her skills, research, and craft are invisible. The story and the characters steal my attention and snare me within the pages. A tale that transports me from my day-to-day routines into the world of another place and time deserves my highest praise, and Wendy's done it again! Not only is this a rollicking good story, but it teaches as well.
I learned new tidbits of information about the Pilgrims and the Mayflower journey without feeling lectured. The glossary of new words is a boon to every mom and teacher. I found myself sneaking back there to confirm I did indeed know the meaning of some of the words--and then grinning when I did. These books will stand the test of time like many of your favorite children's classics. Join the adventure!
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