The River Between Us

Bibliographic Information

The River Between Us
Richard Peck 1934-
164p. : 22cm.
Dial Books 2003, New York
ISBN: 0803727356
Dewey Classification: Fic
Subject classifications: Civil War, racially mixed people, race relations, social life and customs of the 19th century.

Plot summary

Tilly Pruitt's family lives in the state of Illinois. There home is on the Mississippi river bank. Tilly's brother, Noah, marches and practices being a soldier prior to the Civil War and in doing so upsets his mother. The family life is changed one day when a steamboat arrives and two passengers disembark These two become borders at the Pruitt's home and a spellbinding tale of Civil War and of family mystery begins that leads to a very unexpected climax. The story begins in the future with the family of Howard Leland Hutchings traveling back to the home of his father. While at home Howard, who is the narrator of the story, is told the tale about his relationship to Tilly and that he is the grandson of Delphine ( the mysterious border from New Orleans) and Noah..

Critical Analysis

This book will challenge it's young readers and is not for the faint of heart. The brutality of the Civil War is presented in very real terms. The literary device of beginning in the future (1916) and then traveling back in time through the grandmother's story can be confusing for some readers initially. It will be important for the teacher to support through modeling reading and think-alouds for struggling readers and for those English as a second language learners. These students will be more used to reading a story that is sequential and the events of the story are written from beginning to end in a straight line format. Once the student is comfortable with this format they will be engaged in this artfully written story. Mr. Peck presents a tale that will be hard to put down until the end is reached. The last paragraph is very compelling in it's simplicity and feeling. It leaves no doubt just how the narrator feels about his heritage, " I didn't have to think it over. I was proud of anything that made me his son. ... One day I'd tell a son of my own this story of who we were. A son, or daughter with enormous violet eyes."
The characters are fully developed and not one- dimensional. They all have to deal with the complicated family relationships in the context of where and when they lived. Each comes complete with their own fears and concerns. All of this makes it easy for the reader to relate in many ways to their struggles.
The plot is well laid out with many twists and this keeps the reader focused and engaged to see what will happen next. The reader will find that this text is well crafted as it reaches a very real and very human conclusion. The book is definitely an experience not to be missed . Richard Peck has successfully written yet another authentic historical fiction.
The author's note following the story gives real insight into the author's thinking when he wrote this story. It also explains the history of the time as it relates to free women of color in New Orleans during this period in history.

ReviewsExcerpts

Horn Book (September/October, 2003): "The harsh realities of war are brutality related in a complex, always suprising plot that resonates on multiple levels."

Kirkus Review starred (Aug. 15, 2003): "Peck writes beautifully, bringing history alive through Tilly's marvelous voice and deftly handling themes of family, race, war, and history. A rich tale full of magic, mystery, and surprise."

Publishers Weekly (May 9, 2005): "The author crafts his characters impeccably and threads together their fates in surprising ways that shed light on the complicated events of the Civil War.

Publishers Weekly ( July 14, 2003): "Without compromising his superb comedic timing and vibrant portrayals of country folk, Peck reaches new depth with this Civil War-era novel."

School Library Journal (September 1, 2003): "Peck masterfully describes the female Civil War experience, the subtle and not-too-subtle ways country was changing and the split loyalty that separated towns even families."

Connections

Due to the subject matter that is part of this work one effective way to deal with these is through literature circles. This will give the students a chance to engage even more fully in the text and the issues it presents. Discussion questions need to be based on higher level thinking rather then on the simpler comprehension questions. Using Bloom one could begin with analysis such as; discussion about the difference in treatment of officers as compared to that of ordinary soldiers. Was this fair or not? For synthesis the students could write a letter from Dr. Hutchings to Tilly as he did in the story. In their letters students should include specific people and places that were part of the story .They need also to pose questions to Tilly that would reflect the student's understanding of the life and time in which both Tilly and Dr. Hutchings lived. As evaluation it would support student understanding by discussing of the split time line and how they felt about this device. Does it add to the telling by having Dr. Hutchings be the narrator for this piece?
In order to develop student understanding of the importance of key cities on the Mississippi to the Civil War the students could create a map of the river. This will also allow the students to focus on just where the story takes place. Once complete the maps could be scanned into the computer and the students couldl display them on the white board. This will create an interactive way for the students to trace each character's trips.
Many historical novels are good for using timeline activities and this one is especially good due to the specific events of the Civil War. Students could brainstorm some events from the story. Once this list is done the students could work in groups to see how quickly they can put the events in correct order. Students will enjoy the competition and the challenge of being able to successfully complete the task. This will demonstrate their understanding of the time and of the story..