Moon Over Manifest is the 2011 Newberry Medal winner and it is definitely worthy of the prize. A work of historical fiction, it is set in two periods: 1936 and 1917/18. The story follows a young lady, Abilene, who is sent back to a small mid-Western town by her dad. The town, Manifest, Kansas, was the root of many of his stories and so even before getting to town she believes she knows what it’ll be like. What was and what is, however, are two different things.
Abilene doesn’t find the idyllic town described by her father, but one that is firmly in the grip of the Great Depression. It has lost its past luster and part of the tale is Abilene exploring why. That search takes her back to incidents which happened in the days leading up to WWI through the time when the signing of the Armistice looked near. These incidents are told to her through interactions with the existing populace of Manifest, old letters between two friends, through a “diviner” whom Abilene works for, and through old copies of the local newspaper. They reveal the tale of a mid-Western town in the period around World War I. Topics which are covered include:
- how immigrants were treated by particular groups of people looking to take advantage of them
- how the company store worked to keep folks from advancing out of their social strata
- how stock was put into untested elixirs and tonics, leading folks to believe something worked when it didn’t
- the horrors faced in WWI by the men who went over there
- how devastating the 1918 flu epidemic was, especially to small towns
- what it was like to live under Prohibition and how folks got around the law
- the community that surrounded riding the trainings, traveling from one place to another
That’s quite a list, isn’t it? However, it is all blended together into a very compelling story that should keep the interest of youth and adult alike. I’ve intentionally stayed out of the plot of the book because the story is centered on Abilene trying to unravel a couple of mysteries which are very important to her. The author intentionally uses a first person perspective and therefore the reader must unravel the clues and solve the mystery along with Abilene. To speak much more about the plot would give too much away.
Would I recommend it? Yes, I would. The book presents a slice of life where not everything works out. The above list should give a good indication of why that is. However, there is a significant tragedy that is revealed as the book approaches its close, a tragedy that puts everything in perspective. Looking at how this tragedy impacts the town will certainly help youth realize that everything is not golden, as is often portrayed in books, movies, and TV shows. In addition, it introduces so many historic elements and puts them in context as to the impact on people. As a result, we’ll definitely be using the book along with our history curriculum when we hit the WWI period in our homeschool this year. In addition, it is also well written and a very good story, so much so that I will likely read it again soon.