THE RIVER BETWEEN US by Richard Peck

(Book Covers: Peck, Richard. 2003. New York: Dial Books. Photo Sources: Barnes and Noble. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/, accessed November 1, 2008.)

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Peck, Richard. 2003. The river between us. New York: Dial Books. ISBN: 978-0-803-72735-9

2. PLOT: This story, has two plot lines. The first is set in 1916 and involves a trip taken by fifteen year old Howard Hutchings with his father, Dr. William Hutchings, Jr. and twin brothers, to Grand Tower, Illinois. The trip first appears to be a simple trip of a dad taking his children to the place where he grew up. The trip is anything but simple. Dr. Hutchings had an agenda. He wanted Howard to learn about his ancestors who were anything but typical. The second plot is a flashback to 1861 during the time when Abraham Lincoln was first president and the Civil War was just beginning. This part of the story focuses on the struggles facing Howard Hutchings’ ancestors during this period of history. It specifically tells the story of young Delphine Duval who was a Creole from New Orleans and how she came to be involved in the lives of the other characters. The two plot lines come together in the end of the book to give Howard Hutchings the true picture of his family.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: So much history is told in this one hundred sixty-five page book through the characters that make up one family. As with any family, the relationships are intertwined. The book is a bit confusing at first because it begins with a detailed story of a trip taken in 1916 with the main characters being Howard Hutchings, 15 year old son; Howard’s dad, Dr. William Hutchings, Jr.; and Howard’s twin brothers (age 5), Raymond and Earl Hutchings. This first part of the story is historically accurate and interesting for children. Mr. Peck describes what it was like to travel by car in 1916. He includes details that children would never think of such as: taking two days to prepare for a trip; strapping as many gas tanks as can fit to the side of the car because there is no gas station along the way; cracking an egg on the radiator to repair leaks along the way; fixing four flats in one day of traveling and having to pump the tire using a hand pump; and finding trees to sleep under during the overnight stop that must be made along the way. Although the story of the car trip is a bit different from what a child would experience today, the characterization of a family trip is well within the realm of things we would do today with our family. It is realistic and believable to a child reader.

For most of the book, the story is a flashback to 1861 and an entirely new set of characters appear. These characters include: Tilly and Noah, 15 years old twins; Cass, 12 year old sister to Tilly and Noah; Tilly’s mother; Delphine Duval, a young woman from New Orleans; Calinda, a young woman who appears to be Delphine’s slave; and Dr. William Hutchings. It is through these characters that the historical aspects of the story are told. At first, this flashback is disconcerting. The reader is not sure how the second chapter of the book has anything to do with the first. It doesn’t take long, however, to forget about the first chapter of the book and immerse oneself in the world that existed in 1861. The reader realizes, in the end, why the first chapter was included. It all comes together quite clearly when the story concludes with all the characters being part of William Hutchings’ family.

The setting of the main part of the book is 1861 at a time when the main characters were teenagers. The young reader will relate to the concerns and feelings expressed by the characters in the novel. For example, Tilly’s mother sends her and Delphine away to look for Noah who had gone to fight in the Civil War. The mother saw a vision of Noah being hurt and told Tilly that she could spare Tilly but she could not lose Noah. Tilly was extremely hurt by her mother’s words. There are times when children feel that a parent may favor one sibling over another. In another example, Tilly’s sister Cass is seen as different and has emotional issues. She sees visions. Tilly protects her which is something that many children can relate to.

The setting is described in great detail throughout the book. It is in the time of the Civil War when President Lincoln was “newly elected”. Descriptions of how Illinois needed the goods brought to it by Southern boats up the Mississippi are given as well as the devastation that happened when President Lincoln ordered a blockade of those ships. The divide of our country between North and South is depicted. The Mississippi River separated the town of Tower Rock, Illinois, such that one part was fighting for the South and one part was fighting for the North. Thus, the title of the book. The agony of having to fight one’s neighbor or even family member is depicted when the men of the town were having to choose sides; a choice which most people in the United States found easy because of their geographic location.

This book teaches young readers about various topics, including: the Civil War and the physical and emotional impact it had on people who lived through it; information about some of the famous battles during the Civil War; the history of the Creole people of New Orleans; how wealthy, white, southern men would sometime have second families with black women and how those relationships affected the children born from them; the impact of the Mississippi River in terms of trade, travel and entertainment to the people who lived along its banks; and the early traveling adventures using the automobile. It is presented accurately in terms that children will understand. The details contained in this story are many but they are not so overwhelming as to discourage a child from reading this book. The story reflects the attitudes, values and morals of the time during the Civil War. It weaves a story of relationships that, at the time, were forbidden. It describes the social troubles for those who do not fit perfectly into what society believes to be proper. Therefore, the universal theme from the book seems to be that love and relationships can surpass all odds.

The author’s writing style is easy to read. He uses some terminology that would be used in the late 1800s such as “Paw” for father and “kin” for relatives. There is some dialogue but most of the story is written as a narrative told by Tilly to Howard. When dialogue is used, it is always dialogue that involves Tilly and is believable for her character. The author finishes the book with an end note about his research. He describes what part of the material is factual and what part is from his imagination. He also provides acknowledgement for those who assisted him in his research. A list of literature circle questions and activities are included. These would be helpful for teachers or librarians who would like to use this book for class.

4. REVIEW EXERPT(S): (Source: Book Review Digest Plus, WilsonWeb database, accessed via TWU Library Online)

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, 45, no. 5 (May 1999): “In this thoroughly researched novel, Peck masterfully describes the female Civil War experience, the subtle and not-too-subtle ways the country was changing, and the split in loyalty that separated towns and even families.”

BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S BOOKS, 57, no. 3 (November 2003) 119: “Historical fiction fans should enter this at the top of the must-read list.”

5. CONNECTIONS:

* Read the poem “A moment in time” by Allison Mull. This poem and others about the civil war can be located at http://home.att.net/~lah-rbh/civilwar/home.html, accessed November 5, 2008.

* This would be a wonderful story to read prior to a class discussion about how different people in this country are. Children could learn more about the Creole people of Louisiana. Learning more about Creole people could lead to a general discussion about other mixed races. A teacher could use this discussion to lead further into a study of genealogy, particularly in a school with mixed racial population. There is a great website that might be helpful. It is http://www.frenchcreoles.com/index.html (accessed November 5, 2008). Further links can be found within this website. A YouTube video titled “Too White to be Black, Too Black to be White” would also be interesting for students (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tfVpHYyDcY, accessed November 5, 2008).

* I included pictures of the two covers of this book. I like that it has two covers because they provide appeal to both girls and boys. If a library had a class set of these books, it might be good to include both covers.

Other titles by Richard Peck:

Peck, Richard. 2001. Fair weather. New York: Dial Books.
Peck, Richard. 2000. A year down yonder. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.
Peck, Richard. 1998. A long way from Chicago. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.