I don't not like historical fiction in general, but I find that many books of historical fiction are about war. Topics for historical fiction often mirror a past of deep sadness, or at least a hardship. And I do like these kinds of books, but as of now, I'm hardshipped-out. No more war books for me after this one.I've found that I am more moved by Rylant's novels more than her picture books. The deep sadness of this soldier came through so clearly in to tone and style of Rylant's writing, each sentence and thought flowing straight into the next. Ginny's character had such a lasting influence on John; he carried her with him his entire life. When he came home from the war as a changed man, I wanted him to find Ginny by the end of the novel and I wanted them to be together. I wanted him to care enough to go to Smithville to find her and receive the forgiveness he craved so deeply. I was glad the story was written from the perspective of a survivor. Of course, one would hope that the main character, the protagonist of the story, would live in the end, but as an old man I knew he had not merely lived, but lived well.
This felt like the kind of story that could be epic, hundreds of pages long with the hero not quite satisfied in the end. And yet, Rylant said everything that needed to be said in 100 pages! I was definitely impressed, to say the least. I was curious how the title would tie into the story, and was pleasantly surprised at how John's childhood came back to him with the castles of Europe and serene atmosphere. He went back to that place when he was older, unable to live his post-war life in his old bedroom in his old house.
At the end of the copy I borrowed from the library, Rylant mentions that she didn't do a whole lot of research for this story. Instead, she used her heart to help her write the personal story of a young boy going off to war. A statement like that makes me feel like I, too, could write a personal story of historical fiction without months of rigorous research. Rylant makes this look easy.
2 comments:
I am so glad you wanted John to find Ginny after war!!! I wanted to same for them as well. My heart was broken that he didn't find her and thank her for those inspiring words.
I also agree that Rylant's historical fiction text was very impressive! I found it powerful, explaining in emotion and dialogue of the many faces of war. However, I can't decide if I like the title of the novel. I agree that the castles he saw in Europe were comforting as they reminded him of his childhood, but for some reason I am not satisified with this title. Of course, I have no other title suggestions, but I am still questioning the title.
Your account of "I Had Seen Castles" reminds me of "Dear John" By Nicholas Sparks. I am a hopeless romantic so this book seems like a great choice for me.What age group do you think this would be appropriate for? Would you highlight the love interest between the characters?
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