The Madman of Piney Woods
Ratings1
Average rating5
15
Ratings1
Average rating5
Even though it is now 1901, the people of Buxton, Canada (originally a settlement of runaway slaves) and Chatham, Canada are still haunted by two events of half a century before--the American Civil War, and the Irish potato famine, and the lasting damage those events caused to the survivors.
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Narrators did such a great job giving life to the characters. So beautifully written, I wanted to continue spending time with Benji and Red. Will be happy to learn more about Cooter and Elijah in Elijah of Buxton.
This is a companion to [b:Elijah of Buxton 638689 Elijah of Buxton Christopher Paul Curtis https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328843610s/638689.jpg 2247514], which I haven't read. I think this book holds its own–Elijah is a minor character in this one. I'm interested now to go back and read his story, though. This is a historical-adventure story with an interesting setting–a black community (and an Irish community) in Canada in 1901. It's a good lens for looking at slavery and the Civil War from a relatively close distance, and Curtis does it well, in an age-appropriate way. It's also rare for kids lit to touch on the shitty treatment Irish immigrants got and how that contributed to racism in its own way.I liked the friendship between Red and Benji, and the gradual reveal of the “Madman” was great. (I wonder how differently that would read if I had read Elijah of Buxton? Not sure.) Anyway, I'd definitely recommend this to middle-grade readers who are interested in historical fiction, but also ones who are interested in science or journalism. (Red and Benji are very interested in science and journalism, respectively.)
