The Lady of Cofitachequi A South Carolina Native American Folktale.... & .... Fire and Forgiveness: A Nun’s Truce with General Sherman

Young Palmetto Books, an educational children's and young adult book series, is a publishing partnership between the University of South Carolina Press and the South Carolina Center for Children's Books and Literacy, a unit of the USC School of Library and Information Science.
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Two recent publications from Young Palmetto Books are historical picture storybooks about people and events in South Carolina history.

The Lady of Cofitachequi A South Carolina Native American Folktale by Kate Salley Palmer & Illustrated by James H. Palmer, Jr.

My thoughts:  A picture book told from the viewpoint of a Otter would seem destined to hold the interest of preschoolers and early elementary age children. However, this is a wordy book and a person's disappearance might age it out to those in upper elementary. It is a legend of Indian lore for a time when the Americas were being discovered and conquered by the Spanish.

Published by the University of South Carolina's children's book division, it addresses a piece of history of South Carolina and those early days. History can hold fascination for the reader when recounted in an entertaining, yet historically correct manner.

Children can enjoy this book and it would be especially nice in the classroom or school libraries.

About the book: More than 500 years ago, a tribe of Native Americans lived peacefully next to a river in an area called Cofitachequi, near what is now Camden, South Carolina. A kind and generous woman, who was a member of the Otter Clan, ruled this tribe. She became known as the Lady of Cofitachequi. All the people of the tribe and animals in the area loved the Lady.

An adoring otter tells this true historical account of what happened to the Lady and her kin when Spanish explorers led by Hernando de Soto came looking for gold and silver. De Soto demanded that the tribe hand over precious metals and gems, but all the people had to offer were freshwater pearls and copper. In anger de Soto ordered his army to loot the temples and take all the food. Before leaving, they took the Lady captive and forced her to go with them. Otter watched with tears in his eyes as the Lady was taken away.

Where did the Lady of Cofitachequi go, and would Otter and the people of the town ever see her again?

Fire and Forgiveness: A Nun’s Truce with General Sherman by Martha Dunsky & Illustrated by Monica Wyrick

My thoughts:  Not many in the South can speak of General Sherman and "forgiveness" in the same sentence. The Civil War was a brutal period in United States history and remains a controversial topic to this day. This story of Fire and Forgiveness doesn't excuse Sherman's burning of Columbia, South Carolina (as he did much of the South) nor does it condone his actions.

It tells of a group of Catholic Convent girls and the nuns who were responsible for their safekeeping. It tells about a nun's previously knowing General Sherman and eliciting a promise to spare the girl's convent. That promise was not kept, though.

General Sherman excuses the burning by saying the wind was strong and his men were excited. Still he apologized. And still the nun forgave him.

I had mixed feelings about this book but will still recommend it as a worthy book for classrooms and school libraries.

About the book: A captivating tale about forgiveness and peacemaking based on first-person accounts of true events

Making peace with her spiteful classmate Clara seems impossible to Jane. Despite encouragement from Mother Baptista, the mother superior at their convent school, Jane and Clara dig in their heels. As the girls brood they hear the cannons of the Civil War explode outside their school as General Sherman and the Union army attack the city of Columbia, South Carolina, in February 1865.

Mother Baptista asks Sherman for protection for her nuns and students, and he promises they will be safe inside their convent school. But despite his promise they have to flee in the middle of the night through a chaotic, burning city. Will Mother Baptista forgive Sherman for breaking his promise? Can Jane and Clara make peace when the adults in their world are at odds and at war?

Set during the most deadly and divisive war in U.S. history, this compelling story is based on first-person accounts of true events. Fire and Forgiveness is a reminder of the important role forgiveness and peacemaking play in life’s conflicts big and small, whether between quarreling children, proud adults, or warring nations.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions expressed are mine, alone and are freely given. My copies will be donated to a school library.

Faith (Book 3 Quaker Bride Series) by Lyn Cote

About the book: The Civil War battlefield is the last place Quakeress Faith Cathwell thought she’d find herself. But with a gift for nursing, Faith seizes this opportunity to join the fight for abolition—and to search for Shiloh, a freeborn childhood friend who was kidnapped and sold south by unscrupulous slave catchers.

Knowing it’s much too dangerous for her to search enemy territory alone, Faith enlists the help of Colonel Devlin Knight, who is indebted to her for saving his cousin’s life. A career soldier, Dev is committed to the preservation of the Union but conflicted about freeing his own slave and confidant, who plans to enlist as soon as Dev gives him manumission papers.

Blazing a trail east with the rest of Grant’s army, Dev and Faith fight their personal battles—and a growing attraction to each other. When beliefs clash and passions flare, they quickly find that the only thing more dangerous than the war surrounding them is the battle within their hearts.

My thoughts: Centered around the battlefields of the American Civil War (War Between the States), this is a moving story that encompasses the inner struggles of individuals conflicted by the societal issues of the time. "Faith" is actually a young woman given the name Faith by her parents and raised and following the beliefs of the Quakers. Being a Quaker, she is peaceful and anti-war. She is, however, a compassionate lady given to the talent and wisdom of healing. She is immersed in the medical tents of the Union Army. Her faith and her skills recognized and respected by many.

It is evident that the issue of slavery and the freeing of slaves is not regulated to the Confederate States or Army. Colonel Knight, Dev, has a faithful slave, Armstrong, who serves him well. Armstrong recognizes he is in reality a freeman because of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation but he desires that Dev actually grant him his papers of freedom.

This is a good story and well done touching many of the issues and areas of conflict that existed during the War. I can easily recommend this for high school teens and adults to read.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from the Tyndale Blog Network to facilitate this review. Opinions expressed are solely my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Beneath the Slashings by Michelle Isenhoff: Book Review

Beneath the Slashings is the last book in the Divided Decade Trilogy, set in the Civil War. But the trilogy is a series of stand-alone novels, so you need not read the first two. Here’s a synopsis of Beneath the Slashings:

After four uncertain years of war, twelve-year-old Grace Nickerson is desperate to return to a sense of normalcy. But soon after her father returns, he sells the farm and drags the family to a lumber camp in Michigan’s northern wilderness.

Living among the rough loggers is frightening enough, but then a series of accidents prove intentional. Who is sabotaging the camp, and why? Will the winter in the woods bring the healing Grace’s family needs? Or will it drive a wedge between Grace and her father? 

My thoughts:  Beneath the Slashings deals with a family in crisis resulting from the aftermath of the Civil War.  It opens in 1865.  Pa is returning from the war and plans to move his family, Grace and Sam, to the northern woods into a desolate logging camp.  The practice of logging at that period was one of slashing all the trees and leaving the land destroyed.  However, one thought was that it would be partially cleared for the onslaught of homesteaders headed that way.

Although Ms. Isenhoff writes fiction for the entertainment of middle school students, it is quite evident to the reader that a major intent is to also present lessons that can be learned from history, culture, and life in general.  Ms. Isenhoff writes skillfully using beautiful word pictures that capture the attention of the young reader (and any adults who happen to pick up her books as well).  The interaction of the children in the story with each other and with those around them will be that which a middle school student will not find stilted and out of age character. They will totally relate to the action.

Now what is to be learned from Beneath the Slashings?

1. Logging Camps:  A detailed picture is given of life in a logging camp during 1865.  It was rough and really not the place for a young girl. Baths were scarce but food was plentiful.  Work was hard and long but there was a bit of fun thrown in.  Terms used for activities involved in the work of felling trees and getting them out of the woods are woven right in conversations.
2. Racial:  This story takes place immediately following the Civil War and the issue of freed slaves and their relationships and working with non-blacks was not very well liked by some even in the north woods at that time.  As head of the logging camp, "Pa," dealt with the issue sternly but with grace.
3. Indian Life:  Grace meets an old Indian woman who teaches Grace kindness, understanding, forgiveness, anger control, and the old ways of the Indian.  Ms. Isenhoff writes an elegant word pictures and describing each action from healing arts to leather work in detail yet not boringly.
   

As with the other books written by Michelle Isenhoff, I can highly recommend Beneath the Slashings.

Other books by Michelle Isenhoff reviewed here on Chat With Vera are:  Candle Star (see my review by clicking here)--Civil War 1858, was book one in the Divided Decade triology.  Broken Ladders (Book 2 in the Divided Decade), and The Color of Freedom. (Revolutionary War).

The author Michelle Isenhoff says.... So what do I write? Three words: ADVENTURE - I won't read a story that doesn't transport me to a new, exciting world. I won't write one, either. INNOCENCE - My target audiences range from 9 to 15. Kids. I won't market profanity or controversy. And SUBSTANCE - I prefer stories with some depth to them.
DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of Beneath the Slashings in order to facilitate a review.  I was not obligated to give a positive account.  All opinions expressed are my own.