Historical Fiction

Nettie's Trip South, by Ann Turner

This book would be for grades 3-5. It is based on the diary of the authors great grandmother dated 1859. It is illustrated in black and white, which seems to add to the authenticity of the books' time period. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it for reading to your class. It is in a different format style, the young girl age 1o writes a letter to her friend describing her trip South. Quite emotional.

1. Do the characters' experiences, conflicts, and resolutions of conflicts reflect what is known about the time period?

Yes, definitely. It reflects the time period {1859}, very accurately. A young girl goes South with her older brother who is a newspaper journalist. He is going South to write an article about slavery. The book speaks fo a possible war coming soon and not being able to travel if that occurred. While she is there she goes to a slave auction. This is described in a bit of detail.

2. Do the characters action express values and beliefs that are realistic for the time period?
Yes, the main character, Nettie, is a ten year old girl from the North. She has never seen a Negro or a slave. She is told by her sister that slaves are thought to be 3/5 of a person. It is in the Constitution. Nettie wonders what they are missing- an arm, leg, foot, or something inside? Thoughts of an unbiased child. She is frightened of the train ride, it lurches and belts clouds of black smoke. She wore dresses with collars of lace that scratched her chin.

4. Is the setting authentic?

The setting is very authentic. It mentions how Nettie leaves in furs, because it is cold in the North. It talked of the characters' family staying in a hotel. It was the first hotel the girl had ever stayed in. There was a black maid who was a slave who worked there. Nettie eyed her up and down to the bottom of her feet to see if "Something" was missing. The book even describes the smell of the "sweet cedar" that the South was noted for coming thru the open windows.

5. Details are integrated into the story that do not overwhelm or distract from the story. The details added to the story. For example, at the slave auction, two young children the age of the main character were on the auction block. They were holding hands and had to be torn apart by the man in the white hat when they were sold to separate people. Nettie, the main character threw up. She was brought home and had bedrest for several days.

7. Is the theme worthwhile?
I would say definitely it is worthwhile. The story was inspired by the authors great grandmothers' diary of her trip South in 1859. There she witnessed a slave auction and returned home to become a committed abolitionist.