Critics cite her strong sense of humor, as well as a sharp sense of place, as strong points of her fiction. Reflecting her interest in meticulous research, which she likened to detective work, her stories recreate past times for modern readers. My final notes: I say maybe read it once or twice but consider what I said earlier in this post.From Contemporary Authors Online: "Patricia Beatty's historical children's fiction invites readers to share in her fascination with the past. Charley sat up again, folded his arms on his knees, and lay his head on the blue cloth he was not fit to wear. He'd failed this poor frightened creature, too. He threw himself full-length onto the earth, pounding it, startling the rabbit that had sought refuge by him, making it pin back it ears and lope away. That skedaddler had killed a man and then had turned and run-and everybody knew it. A rabbit could be expected to run-but not Charley Quinn. "Run, run, ye d-! Run home to your mama!" he shouted, and lifted his pistol to shoot at Charley but did not pull the trigger. Run, ye coward Bowery bummer!"Īn officer picked up Sullivan's cry. As the boy ran by him, he heard Con's voice bellowing, "Charley, skedaddle! Go on. She couldn't truly be a witch and be religious, too, could she? She'd called herself a "witch," and yet she was talking about churches. No matter, it's the same God above that we both got, ain't it?" "Lord above, I got me a redheaded Cath'lic Yankee deserter boy here.
Thst's churchgoin' for Cath'lics, Ain't it?" "Mass? I heard of that when I lived below in the bluegrass country. I also didn't like that they kind of teach to prove yourself, and feeling good about oneself because they could do this or that. This ain't so bad a place for a man to settle." So, it's not a big deal to me, but it's in there, just so you know. He tells Granny that "I rekon when I get to be as tall as I'll ever be, I'll be back. In the end before he leaves she gives him a peace of her hair tied with a ribbon. In fact you know they like each other but that's it. So I wont say I completely agree with anything taught in this book.Ĭharley likes a girl. She believes in God but can't read the Bible. It's just a little odd for me, to be reading about a catholic. I just don't believe the way they do and I believe that many of they're beliefs are wrong. I have nothing against Catholics, really. Though the ending makes seance now when I read it. Looking through it again it doesn't seem as disappointing as I remember but the first time I read it I had a completely different ending then I had imagined. Okay, now I can tell you why I didn't like this book. Charley feels sorry for what he does and did and in the end is growing up to be a upstanding man.
He kind of takes Charley under his wing after Charley was crazy enough to run away and join the army at twelve with a bunch of worldly people! But, *spoiler alert* Jem DIES!! *cries* It plain awful but it has to happen to lead to the next part of the story. It's a good history book about the Civil War and the people in and out of it. It's really interesting and I say read it. You have to know how the book ends! It does show a true picture of the horrors of war, and shows the good and bad on both sides. It catches you right from the start! Once you start reading you can't put it down. Until an act of selfless courage-far from the sound of cannons and gunfire-proves to Granny, and to Charley himself, that he's not the coward he thought himself to be.
There he meets Granny Bent, an ornery, secretive old woman who is suspicious of the young Yankee deserter. He "skedaddles" from both the union army he deserted and the Confederates who arrest him as spy.Ĭharley heads for the Blue Mountains. After his brother is killed at Gettysburg, Charley vows revenge and enlists with the Union army as a drummer boy.īut the horrors of war become a reality- and he sees his best friend killed- Charley is terrified.
A member of one of the toughest gangs in New York City. Plot: Charley Quinn was never scared of a fight or to get his hands dirty, after all he's Bowery Boy.
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