#ReadByTheSea2018 #BookReview of Who Are You, Trudy Herman? by B.E. Beck @BookSparks #WhoAreYouTrudyHerman

About the Book:

As a little girl, Trudy Herman is taught to stand up for truth by her much-loved grandfather. Then in 1943, Trudy’s childhood drastically changes when her family is sent to a German-American Internment Camp in Texas. On the journey to the camp, Trudy meets Ruth, who tells her and her friend Eddie the legend of the Paladins―knights of Emperor Charlemagne who used magic gifted to them by the heavens to stand up for virtue and truth. Ruth insists both Trudy and Eddie will become modern-day Paladins―defenders of truth and justice―but Trudy’s experiences inside the camp soon convince her that she doesn’t have what it takes to be a knight.

After two years, her family is released from the camp and they move to Mississippi. Here, Trudy struggles to deal with injustice when she comes face to face with the ingrained bigotries of the local white residents and the abject poverty of the black citizens of Willow Bay. Then their black housekeeper―a woman Trudy has come to care for―finds herself in crisis, and Trudy faces a choice: look the other way, or become the person her grandfather and Ruth believed she could be?

Reviewed By: Jessica P. 

Publisher: She Writes Press

Recommended Age: Middle Grade, Young Adult 

Genre: Historical Fiction 

How I Acquired this book: BookSparks

Overall rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

About the Author:
B. E. Beck is an educator and writer. She taught at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, before moving to the Seattle College District. She is a member of Pacific Northwest Writers Association and is active in two writers’ groups. She and her husband live in the Seattle area.

Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: When I started this one I was not sure what I was going to find but what I did blew me away! 

Check out author's other books? Yes
Recommend this book? Yes

Notes and Opinions: Man o man Trudy was a girl after my own heart. Everything she had been through was just heartbreaking!  This was a book of secrets, discrimination, and resilience that I just couldn't put down.  This was a wonderful story of strength that everyone should read. I could see this one in school when they talk about WWII. By the end of this story, you will be crying so hard that you won't be able to see the page so make sure to have tissues on hand.  It was just that powerful. This one shows us the darker sides of humanity with a finding out who you truly are message. 

The characters in this one were all there. I loved Trudy and her grandfather and was so sad to see him leave.  I loved that it was implied that Trudy knew how it felt along with the black Americans. Racism at its core is all the same. It is about hate and nothing else. 

In closing on this one it was one emotional ride that I couldn't put down. 

Go Into This One Knowing: Rape, Internment Camp, Racism, Hope 

 

Featured in Bookstr's "2018's Top 15 Unputdownable YA Reads"

"Give this to fans of historical fiction during this particular time period and to young adults interested in social justice issues." 
―VOYA

"The plot is fast, driving, and great for reluctant readers....Great for school libraries as it offers a viewpoint of the effects of World War II at home.” 
―School Library Journal

"This novel offers a window into a lesser-known aspect of internment in WWII...When a regular girl confronts extraordinary challenges, this novel forcefully asks what it takes to stand up for what is right.” 
―Booklist

“Trudy Herman’s struggle to survive adolescence and deal with the difficulties of injustice, cruelty, and self-doubt is a remarkable record of self-evolution. Her story is both engaging and revealing and the writer’s ability to capture Trudy’s conflicts and growth is remarkable. We all learn from her experiences.”
―Gloria Campbell, author of Just for Thought

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Posted in: 5 Stars, BooksparksPR, Jessica P., Middle Grade, Review, She Writes Press, Young Adult