Heuston, Kimberley. The Shakeress.Front Street. 207p. c2002. 1-886910-56-1. $16.95 JS This is a historical novel, set in New England New England, name applied to the region comprising six states of the NE United States—Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The region is thought to have been so named by Capt. from 1828-1835, beginning when four orphaned children decide to take shelter with a Shaker Shaker Member of the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, a celibate millenarian sect. Derived from a branch of the radical English Quakers (see Society of Friends), the movement was brought to the U.S. community near their family farm in New Hampshire New Hampshire, one of the New England states of the NE United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts (S), Vermont, with the Connecticut R. forming the boundary (W), the Canadian province of Quebec (NW), and Maine and a short strip of the Atlantic Ocean (E). . It proves to be a good decision, as the children learn skills and experience great compassion from the Shakers Shakers, popular name for members of the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, also called the Millennial Church. Members of the movement, who received their name from the trembling produced by religious emotion, were also known as Alethians. . It is told in the third person, with the emphasis on Naomi, the older sister, who prays and asks God to show her what to do for herself and her brothers and sister. Naomi learns to be a nurse/physician, but yearns to experience her own family someday--impossible with the Shakers, who are celibate cel·i·bate n. 1. One who abstains from sexual intercourse, especially by reason of religious vows. 2. One who is unmarried. adj. 1. . At about 16, she leaves the Shakers and her siblings and takes a job as a nurse in Vermont. (So, in spite of the title, Naomi really never was a Shakcress.) She is fond of the family who take her in, develops a love interest, and is successful earning money with her lotions and herbal remedies. You might think that is the end of the story. It's not. Joseph Smith and the first Mormons were just formulating their religion, sending missionaries to rural communities for converts. In the little town in Vermont, everyone is religious, but many are attracted to the teachings of the Mormons, especially when there are dramatic healings. Naomi witnesses the remarkable healing of a toddler with appendicitis Appendicitis Definition Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix, which is the worm-shaped pouch attached to the cecum, the beginning of the large intestine. The appendix has no known function in the body, but it can become diseased. , knowing the baby would surely die because medical practices back then couldn't help him; it is this healing that causes her to endorse the Mormons' dedication to lives lived according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. God's plan. She hears this call and the story ends as she heads to Ohio to be part of the first Mormon settlements. The connection with the Shakers is that both communities believe that every daily act in someone's life should be sacred. YAs interested in religion, those whose own faith encourages them to pray for God's guidance and presence in their lives, will be especially interested in Naomi's spiritual quest. And since Naomi is such a strong heroine, with skills and common sense, and with a great love of life, most YAs will enjoy reading her story. It doesn't say in the information about the author that she is a Mormon herself, but she was born in Provo, Utah and now teaches school in Salt Lake City, so she certainly has some firsthand knowledge of the Mormons and their history. |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion