Northern Light

I don't read much Historical Fiction, and much less Young-Adult Historical Fiction. For me it's combining a present day voice with a past tense feel and trying to come up with something that can appeal to us now but ring true for the past. Not everyone can do that successfully, but Jennifer Donnelley did an amazing job. She created a voice in Mattie Gokey that immediately pulled me into the story and found Mattie a place in my heart. Any girl that loves to read is all right with me. Any girl that wants to write is immediately going to make an impression on me. And any girl that would leave her family and risk having no money and no one just so she can finally live her own life and follow her dream is amazing. I will admit that it took me a while to come to that conclusion, because I don't think I would have left my family behind, even if it wasn't my responsibility. It isn't their responsibility either and they're left with it, but Mattie definitely took the reins for so long it was about time someone else did too. Mattie wants to pursue her love of books. I think her intense love for them is what initially bonded us together. It was her strength and tenacity later on that made me love her even more. Her mother died and now Mattie and her family are left without her in a harsh 1906 New York. Mattie takes care of her siblings and her father so thoroughly that when she wants to start a life of her own, it seems impossible at times. Jennifer Donnelley also tackled discrimination in this book, making a secondary-character come to life in a big way. When Weaver defended himself and his race at the train station I was terrified for him. I loved his voice and it brought a welcome freshness to this story. Something else I loved was the representation of New York in the early 1900's. Jennifer's writing was beautiful and imaginative. I could see everything perfectly and this book became a movie inside of my head. The characters were rich in personality and they were portrayed in a way that brought the era of the story together wonderfully. As for the other part of the story involving Grace Brown I wasn't as much of a fan. I felt bad for her situation, and I think ultimately Grace is the reason why Mattie made up her mind to leave in the end, so in a way Grace's story became Mattie's future, which when you think about it makes Grace's character probably the most important one. If your dream clashed with your responsibilities, which would you choose? That's the question Mattie struggled with throughout the book, and you're going to have to read this to understand the bone deep and heartfelt way Mattie came up with a solution. Overall this is probably one of the best historical fiction novels I have ever read. It opened my eyes to the genre and my heart. Mattie is a character that will stick with me for a very long time and her story even longer. I would absolutely recommend this to not only historical fiction lovers, but anyone who's ever felt like life was swallowing them whole.show more