William Henry Is a Fine Name
William Henry Is a Fine Name is a fine book! Cathy Gohlke won the 2007 Christy Award for best Young Adult novel and was a finalist in the best First Novel category for this outstanding book, which follows 13-year-old Robert Glover in 1859.This historical fiction would be good to read with teens for discussions about such topics as justice, slavery, abolition, and the Underground Railroad. Although not graphic, the book does contain some disturbing imagery and adult themes (the book alludes to white men violating female slaves, and several children are the product of that), but they're central to the story and expose the evils of slavery.
Although there are villainous characters in the story, the characters in favor of slavery are not portrayed as one-dimensional. Some of the characters are kind to their slaves but treat them with compassionate condescension. Robert's mother, who grew up on a tobacco plantation in North Carolina and whose ailing father still owns slaves, believes that slavery benefits everyone involved because slaves are not intelligent or capable enough to handle the responsibility of managing their own lives. Robert's father doesn't share his wife's views and works for a man who "took up some of the notions of the Quakers" and freed all of his slaves before Robert was born. Robert wonders where his father has been going in the middle of the night and why he keeps his wagon off the road. He also notices that men go out with packs of dogs hunting for runaway slaves following his father's mysterious late-night outings.
Robert is torn between his parents' conflicting views and is also greatly influenced by his best friend, William Henry, who is black. When Robert and his mother need to suddenly travel back to her childhood home, Robert must decide what he personally believes about justice and what he's willing to sacrifice so that others might have it.
Robert's faith is influenced by his father and others he meets along the way. I was very moved by William Henry Is a Fine Name, and it's definitely a book that stays with you. The historical details made the story come alive, and I'd like to know more real-life stories of those who conducted and traveled the Underground Railroad.
Although there are villainous characters in the story, the characters in favor of slavery are not portrayed as one-dimensional. Some of the characters are kind to their slaves but treat them with compassionate condescension. Robert's mother, who grew up on a tobacco plantation in North Carolina and whose ailing father still owns slaves, believes that slavery benefits everyone involved because slaves are not intelligent or capable enough to handle the responsibility of managing their own lives. Robert's father doesn't share his wife's views and works for a man who "took up some of the notions of the Quakers" and freed all of his slaves before Robert was born. Robert wonders where his father has been going in the middle of the night and why he keeps his wagon off the road. He also notices that men go out with packs of dogs hunting for runaway slaves following his father's mysterious late-night outings.
Robert is torn between his parents' conflicting views and is also greatly influenced by his best friend, William Henry, who is black. When Robert and his mother need to suddenly travel back to her childhood home, Robert must decide what he personally believes about justice and what he's willing to sacrifice so that others might have it.
Robert's faith is influenced by his father and others he meets along the way. I was very moved by William Henry Is a Fine Name, and it's definitely a book that stays with you. The historical details made the story come alive, and I'd like to know more real-life stories of those who conducted and traveled the Underground Railroad.
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