Bibliography
Hesse, K. 2003. Aleutian Sparrow. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. ISBN 0689861893
Plot Summary
The Aleutian Sparrow depicts a young girl, Vera, and the events that took place when the Japanese invaded the Aleutian Islands during World War II. When the Japanese invaded the islands, the U.S. government relocated the natives to camps in the southern regions. Karen Hesse records the numerous hardships the Aleutian people experienced during their time in these dreadful camps. During the three years she was in the camp, Vera watched her fellow men perish, including some of her own friends. The spirit and determination of several of the Aleutian people begin to crack and deteriorate, similar to their abominable living conditions. All the while, Vera strived to remain positive, even finding love in her childhood friend, Alfred. When Vera and the remaining Aleutians are set free, their return is met by ransacked homes, and a ghostly silence. The close of the book is positive with the feeling that the Aleutians will prevail.
Critical Analysis
In The Aleutian Sparrow, Karen Hesse’s use of verse poetry enlightens the reader on the hardships that the Aleutians suffered during World War II. The succinct words are used evoke many strong feelings that were felt by the characters. Vera’s character is portrayed as strong and determined, despite her horrifying surroundings and injustices. Vera and the others try so hard to keep their traditions, such as Christmas, although they wish for much different things while restrained in the camp, “Here we have Christmas greens in every cabin, and we wait not for Santa, but for permission to go home.” Even as strong as Vera is, she is still human, and grieves as her friend Pari dies, “The air is fur thick, damp and green. I sit on the sand in the rain, and I scream.”
The anger and frustration of the Aleutians is noted throughout the verses. They have been living in conditions not deemed satisfactory for livestock, and they hear about how the German POWs are being treated, “They are provided a clean, safe place to live, a variety of foods….they are not expected to contribute in any way to their keep…..we are citizens of the United Sates, taken from our homes, We did nothing wrong…”
Hesse’s detailed description of Vera’s return to her home was brilliantly detailed, but heart-breaking to read, “On the Aleutians holy places collapsed under the bombs, one after another, like toy buildings. And the priceless relics from czarist Russia traveled Outside in duffels, Packed between posters of pinup girls and soiled government-issue underwear.” Here, Hesse’s words induce an immediate sadness in anyone who reads them. It brought to mind a time that I made a return to somewhere I once loved, only to find it in ruins. The Aleutian Sparrow is a verse novel that examines the unjust and unfair ways people are treated during times of war, and even within our own prejudices. In the end, the author gives us a glimmer of optimism, “And as the Aleuts have always done, We find the will to begin again.”
Review Excerpts
School Library Journal
Hesse's verses are short and flow seamlessly, one into another. Her use of similes is a powerful tool in describing people, scenes, events, and emotions. Some less sophisticated readers, however, may not catch the nuances of phrases such as, "-where blossoms framed the steaming pools like masses of perfumed hair" or "-where the old ways steep like tea in a cup of hours." Ending on a hopeful note, Aleutian Sparrow brings to light an important time in American history, and in the process introduces readers to Aleut culture.
Booklist
It's the dark history of what Americans did to their own citizens that will hold readers: after the Japanese bombed Unalaska Island in 1942, the U.S. evacuated most of the Aleut people to alien, crowded camps, where one out of four died. As Vera talks about her life in the camps, she also weaves in her people's past history and culture, ensuring that readers will want to know more.
Connections
Students should become familiar with verse novels around the beginning of middle school. Teachers can have a project that encompasses the techniques used in the verse novels. Students can choose a topic and write several verses on it, creating a narrative with a language that is conversational. The teacher can even go one step further, and relate the assignment to The Aleutian Sparrow, and have the students compose a verse novel about prejudices and/or war that they have experienced.
Additional recommended books:
*Witness by Karen Hesse ISBN 0439271991
*Out Of the Dust by Karen Hesse ISBN 0590371258
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