Mare's War Review
Mare's War tells of two journeys. In a car speeding (or not, depending on the driver) across America to a mysterious reunion are two teenage girls (who had their own, more teenagerishly appropriate plans for the summer) and their grandmother, Marey Lee (known as Mare), who planned the trip. And on the way, their grandmother tells them the story of her first journey, seventy or so years before, when she escaped from her home in Bay Slough, Alabama and went to war.
The two sister, Octavia and Talitha, squabble, fret, drag their feet, and send occassional postcards of complaint to friends and family (shown in the book, in a nicely light touch), but as the miles pass. and their grandmother's story unfolds, the tone of the postcard messages begin to change. Their grandmother's life as Marey Lee, an African American teenager in the Women's Army Corps has them fascinated. The friendships she made, the prejudice she encountered, and the historical pagent of which she was a part are spellbinding stuff. This is an eye-openingly powerful narrative that educates without didactism, filling a blank space in the history of World War II without ever loosing sight of Marey Lee, the girl.
It was a story that sure kept me enthralled (although I'm glad I didn't have to drive 2,340 miles from California to Alabama in summer with my sisters and grandmother to hear it).
Davis manages to make her teenagers in the present interesting people in their own right, and not just vessels created to receive Mare's story, but their sibling relationship and 21st century teenage angsts pall in comparison to what their grandmother went through (to give them credit, they relize this). In essence, Mare's War is first rate historical fiction, set in a modern narrative that, I think, makes it much more accessible and appealing to teenagers than Marey Lee's story, served straight up, might have been.
This was a book I couldn't put down, that I recommend enthusiastically to fans of WW II historical fiction, historical career stories, and roadtrips!
Mare's War Feature
- ISBN13: 9780375857140
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Mare's War Overview
Meet Mare, a grandmother with flair and a fascinating past.
Octavia and Tali are dreading the road trip their parents are forcing them to take with their grandmother over the summer. After all, Mare isn’t your typical grandmother. She drives a red sports car, wears stiletto shoes, flippy wigs, and push-up bras, and insists that she’s too young to be called Grandma. But somewhere on the road, Octavia and Tali discover there’s more to Mare than what you see. She was once a willful teenager who escaped her less-than-perfect life in the deep South and lied about her age to join the African American battalion of the Women’s Army Corps during World War II.
Told in alternating chapters, half of which follow Mare through her experiences as a WAC member and half of which follow Mare and her granddaughters on the road in the present day, this novel introduces a larger-than-life character who will stay with readers long after they finish reading.
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Customer Reviews
The story stopped before the car did. - Mare - Tucson, AZ United States
I borrowed this book from the library because my name is Mare. After reading the inner cover, I was excited to read this. The story was intriguing. I couldn't wait to hear more about Mare's life as she was growing up in the South. However, the ending of the book put on the emergency brake. I didn't feel the ends were wrapped up at all. I felt gypped. I didn't like it. The rest of the book was an excellent journey. If not for the abrupt halt, I'd have liked this book much more.
Mare's War- A Good Read - Carol Baldwin -
Mare's War
Mare's War will appeal to several audiences: teenage girls who will identify with Octavia and Tali who are dragged on a road trip with their 80-year-old grandmother, Mare; African Americans who will appreciate the example of a strong female character in the Army during WWII; and teachers in 6th-9th grade who can use this book as a supplement to African American studies.
I liked it because of how the author, Tanita Davis, wove history and character education lessons into Mare's interaction with her granddaughters, simultaneously teaching that young people can learn a lot from their grandparents' histories. In this excerpt she has just explained to Octavia that Claudette Colvin was her same age (15) when she refused to give up her seat on the bus:
"The people who dragged her kicking and screaming off of that bus certainly were what you could call white supremacists," Mare continues. "She had to have known that something was going to happen if she kept sitting where she wasn't wanted. But she stayed seated," Mare goes on, flicking a glance over her left shoulder and smoothly changing lanes. "Sometimes you just have to to act on the strength of your convictions, no matter what someone else might think." (p.88)
Mare's War flip-flops from the threesome's present day adventures as they drive from California to Alabama, their destination for an alleged family reunion. Although the girls begin the trip bored and complaining, they (and the reader) are quickly engrossed in their grandmother's stories. The girls learn of Mare's struggles with her loyalty to protect her younger sister, her desire to leave her small town existence and create a life of her own, and her longing to win her mother's approval--at the same time that she handles prejudices directed against blacks.
A mostly grand tale of a grand Mare - Magpie - Fort Worth, TX
Solid and well written historical fiction, with some fresh ideas and fun. Sisters Octavia and Tali are required to accompany their high-spirited grandmother ("Mare") to a family reunion across the country. The story alternates between Then and Now, and tales of Mare's adventurous life as one of the first black women in the US Army in World War 2, and Tali and Octavia's modern lives. I wasn't overly thrilled that Mare is encouraging Octavia to drive (though Octavia is underage and doesn't have a license) but that's probably just me. A few things seem rather clunkily dropped in for the education value (reference to Claudette Colvin; Joe Louis The Brown Bomber) but that's the great thing about historical fiction -- you can learn while you are having fun.
Great storytelling wrapped around fascinating history lesson - Robin Brande -
Great blend of a history most of us never heard about--the "colored" women's unit of the U.S. Army during WWII--and a modern-day road trip with two girls and their tough, seen-it-all grandmother. Great family story, but also a very inspiring how-to--how to transform yourself from a poor, afraid, and powerless girl into an independent, kickass young woman. A book I'll gladly share with the teenage girls in my life!
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jul 07, 2010 13:50:06
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