Joiner, Sara. After the Ashes. Holiday House 2015 278p $17.95 ISBN 978-0-8234-3441-1 ms/hs Historical fiction VG-BN
Sara Joiner
has created quite an intriguing character in Katrien. Living with her father and aunt in Java, she
has some rather unusual interests. She
adores Darwin’s theories and she collects insects, “not bugs, but insects,” as she likes to correct people.
At odds with everyone around her, she has a particular dislike for
Brigitta Burkart, her nemesis, who seems to have interests that are the polar opposite of Katrien’s, such as social skills and traditional “woman’s work”. Katrien’s aunt
and father are further challenged when Katrien insists on running around with
her local Javanese friend, Slamet. With
her Asperger-like ways, Katrien soon finds herself in hot water with Vader
(Father) and Tante Greet. Both want her
to develop her role as a future wife and housekeeper, but Katrien resists. While the rising action develops, the reader
learns all about Krakatau, for the setting is
the summer of 1883 when it erupts with devastating results and takes thousands
of lives. About halfway through the
book, Joiner’s
story really begins, for it is here that Katrien manages somehow to survive, aided by her expertise in Darwinian theories, when all others around her perish. The drama is increased in part, by her new friendship with Brigitta, who also survived.
The two girls wander through the jungle searching for water and safety
and form a new relationship based on survival.
Their relationship in surroundings that would make less strong-willed
children give up is intriguing. Joiner’s
descriptions parallel the film “The Impossible”, and that is a bit distracting,
especially when the girls find a baby, as
did the mother and son in the film.
Nevertheless, there is more than enough originality in Joiner’s descriptions to support her dedicated
research on the topic of volcanos and tsunamis, and readers will learn a lot.
Young readers will remember this book forever. There is something compelling about surviving
against impossible odds.
This book is a
very good choice for both middle- and
high-school libraries. It will fill a role in teaching history with
its depiction of Krakatau’s explosive devastation, and the formation of a friendship between two unlikely young ladies
will entertain immensely.
Summary: Katrien’s sworn enemy becomes her survival partner when Krakatau erupts violently.
Together the girls face adversities
such as the loss of family members and homes, as well as other horrors from the tsunami that follows
the eruption.
Volcanos-Fiction,
Survival-Fiction, Friendship-Fiction -–Martha
Squaresky
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