ShakeressAges: 12 and up Grades: GR. K-2 Pages: 208 List Price: $16.95 Cover: Hardcover Published: 4/1/2002 ISBN: 1-886910-56-1 ISBN-13: 978-1-886910-56-0 |
A young Shakeress in the mid-1800s searches for her true self and for the way to meet her spiritual needs. AwardsBooks for the Teen Age �New York Public Library 2003 Honorable Mention in Young Adult Literature Association of Mormon Letters 2003 Top 10 Kids Books �The Washington Post 2002 Show All Awards ReviewsNew York Times Book Review "A poor orphan searches for her way in the world, with the help of plucky comrades and her own stout spirit. As she reaches self-knowledge, the handsome heir of a wealthy family sees past her humble garb to ask for her work-stained hand in marriage. Sound like a fairy tale? Kimberley Heuston's thoughtful and ambitious novel The Shakeress doesn't end there. True love is not the answer for Naomi, the confident heroine of the title. The book's climax comes not with the lover on his knees in love, but with Naomi on her knees in prayer. … As an independent, self-reliant teenage girl, Naomi provides a model for any quickly maturing questioner, even those who don't share her questions. Her quest is recognizable and welcoming. Tolerance for God-related musing and a God-inspired ending are, however, necessary equipment for this journey." Washington Post Book World "An original, intelligent, thought-provoking first novel … It's as if Emma had thrown over Mr. Knightly in order to become an Anabaptist. Yet Jane Austen might well have admired Heuston's wit —and her willingness to defy conventional expectations, literary or otherwise." Publishers Weekly "Fascinating views of Shakers and other religious movements in the 1820s and '30s." Show All Reviews |
