Point Regarding Books Witness
| Title | : | Witness |
| Author | : | Karen Hesse |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 161 pages |
| Published | : | March 1st 2003 by Scholastic Paperbacks (first published July 5th 2000) |
| Categories | : | Historical. Historical Fiction. Poetry. Young Adult. Fiction. Childrens. Middle Grade |
Rendition To Books Witness
The Barnes & Noble Review Karen Hesse's Newbery Award-winning skills are put to great use in Witness, a poetic tale about friendship, fanaticism, and the deadly undercurrents of racial prejudice. The story takes place in a small Vermont town in the year 1924, revealing the devastating impact of the Ku Klux Klan on this pastoral, insular community. At the heart of the tale are two motherless girls who come to the attention of the newly formed Klan: 12-year-old Leanora Sutter, who is black, and 6-year-old Esther Hirsch, who is Jewish.Hesse tells her story, which is based on real events, through the eyes of 11 different characters. Each point of view is expressed in poetic form, but with a stark clarity of difference that makes the voices unique and identifiable. There is a fire-and-brimstone preacher whose sermons reveal him as a zealot and whose actions brand him as a hypocrite. There is a middle-aged farm woman named Sara who takes Esther under her wing despite the warnings of her neighbors, trying to help the child understand why the Klan has marked her and her widowed father as targets for their hatred. Esther's only other friend is Leanora, who is about to learn some harsh lessons on tolerance and hatred herself at the hands of the Klan. And linking them all together is 18-year-old Merlin Van Tornhout, a young man struggling to fit in with the adult world and determine for himself the difference between right and wrong. The remaining characters who circle the periphery of this core group reflect the various mind-sets and biases that were common during this era of fear and persecution, even in a setting as bucolic as the Vermont countryside.
Hesse weaves real historic events into her tale, such as the murder trial of the infamous kidnappers Leopold and Loeb, giving the work a definite period flavor. Using prose that is both sparse and powerful, she builds the tension with a slow crescendo of inevitability that ends in violence, but also offers up an unforgettable lesson on the true power of friendship and acceptance. (Beth Amos)
Identify Books During Witness
| Original Title: | Witness |
| ISBN: | 0439272009 (ISBN13: 9780439272001) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Setting: | Vermont,1924(United States) |
| Literary Awards: | Gustavus Myers Outstanding Book Award (2002), Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (2003), Missouri Gateway Readers Award Nominee (2004) |
Rating Regarding Books Witness
Ratings: 3.72 From 5007 Users | 779 ReviewsNotice Regarding Books Witness
I first read this in elementary school and loved it, then read it again recently for my Young Adult Literature class and loved it even more. It reads almost like a play, with each character (all residents of a small Vermont town in 1924) telling their version of events (the Ku Klux Klan rolling in and starting to recruit) in free verse. Characters include the local preacher, a twelve-year-old black girl, the town doctor, the sheriff, a six-year-old Jewish girl, and a woman who runs liquor.3.5*** Eleven residents of a small Vermont town in 1924 reveal what happens when the Ku Klux Klan moves in. Neighbors turn against one another and no one is safe, particularly two children: twelve-year-old Leonora, an African American girl, and six-year-old Esther, who is Jewish. The residents of the town bear witness to the events of 1924 in haunting free verse. Ive read several of Hesses works now, and am in awe of how much she can convey in so few words. Despite using free verse for the
4.5 starsDamn, this book was good. I am not too big of a fan of the format it was written in (poetry/prose) but I really, really liked it! Its short and quick but boi, was it powerful! 👍 if you are looking for a quick and emotional read, I recommend this novel. At first it was hard to keep track of the characters, but I grew familiar with them soon enough. My favorite was Leanora, but I also liked Esther and Sara and the newspaper guy (Richard something, I forgot his name haha)
I had to read this for a class in college, and I just picked it up while cleaning my shelf and reread it. It's a story told in poems each from a different characters' perspective. It's about the kkk and racism in the 1920s and the different people's thoughts and changing feelings on the subject.
Ooh. Scary but good.
Though there is a list of characters (complete with photographs) at the start of this book, it was very difficult to keep track of who each person was. The adults frequently sounded like children, and no one sounded especially realistic. The characters mostly sounded like talking heads for putting across certain beliefs that were held by individuals and groups of the time period. Six-year-old Esther Hirsh, part of the Jewish family in the story, was probably the only voice I instantly recognized
I loved this book. it gave me a lot of information on a girl named leonora sutter. It talked about her life and people that knew her. It also talked about the k.k.k. I hope to read another book like it.
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