Hello, all! ^^ How are you doing? November has been a most interesting month for me — with me waging war on a neighborhood cat, wrangling stories, and digging a hole in the beach that came up to my waist (why yes, I did indeed spend two hours digging this hole).
There also is this rather strange sense of disbelief. November is the last month of autumn and the year shall be coming to a close soon. And while some may argue that January is still two months away, i can say with certainty that time flies by fast and it shall be here in no time. And not to mention Christmas, my dear!!! I have a million and one things I must do to prepare for Christmas… So many things, so little time!
However, I am most glad to say that not only has November has been filled with lots and lots of reading so far but I may have also found a new favorite middle-grade historical fiction! (I appear to be reading more historical fiction this year…)
And said historical fiction is Last of the Name by Rosanne Parry!
The blurb reads: Twelve-year-old Danny O’Carolan and his sister, Kathleen, arrive in New York City in 1863. Kathleen refuses to be parted from her only remaining relative, so she finds a job in domestic service for herself and her younger…sister. Danny reluctantly pretends to be a girl to avoid being sent to the children’s workhouse or recruited as a drummer boy for the Union army.
When he occasionally sneaks off to spend a few hours as a boy and share his rich talent for Irish dancing, he discovers the vast variety of New York’s neighborhoods.
But the Civil War draft is stoking tensions between the Irish and free black populations. With dangers escalating, how can Danny find a safe place to call home?
I wrote a little bit about this book in my journal, and the only thing I can really think of to say is, Oh. My. Word. What a book. I truly can hardly describe this book. It is such a beautiful, poignant historical fiction that brought me to tears several times throughout the story, and the characters and the sibling dynamic… It is just absolutely wonderful.
The characters in this book were… amazing. They all felt so alive, like real people, and I loved Danny’s youth and determination! He had to be one of my favorite characters, along with Kathleen, whose fire and determination I absolutely loved!!! Mother Hildegard, a nun Danny and Kathleen meet, was such a wonderful character as well!!! She’s so clever and wise and may be one of my favorite side characters I have ever read!
The plot of this book was incredible as well. Simply incredible, I tell you! It follows Danny’s journey through New York City as he learns more about the world, meets these new people, and it is a winding, twisting journey that is filled with both hardship and hope, and it really gives us a lot of insight into what was going on in America (or at least, a part of it) at the time!
I think my favorite scene in this book really has to be the scene near the end of this book. I can’t give too much away due to spoilers, but the plot twist about the harp at the end, along with everything we’ve discovered about Danny’s family and his past throughout this book… It is just amazing, and I loved the ending as well!
I also adored the writing style of this book! I have read some of Rosanne Parry’s books in the past (A Wolf Called Wander, A Wolf Called Fire, and the other books in that series), and I have always been very impressed with her writing style and the way she was able to capture that raw feeling of a wild animal in that series. Here, in this book, she really captures the feeling of… well, I honestly don’t really know how to describe it. Just the way she really captures everything Danny would have been feeling all throughout the story so perfectly and really paints a picture of what life would have been like for these people.
It is truly incredible and, again, it has taught me a lot more about what was going on in America at the time — I was aware of the Civil War and such, but I didn’t know that there were so many Irish who’d immigrated to America at the time or all the struggles they’d face. (Which I do believe may have been mentioned in class a bit. However, I am terrible at remembering the timelines!!)
Overall, a fantastic historical fiction and one of my favorites reads of this month! I highly recommend this to any middle-grader, teen, or adult who is looking for a moving historical read!!!! And I know I can’t give out six stars out of five every time I read a book, but I truly cannot help it!!!! Tis a most wonderful book, hence…. I shall give it six stars out of five. Definitely going to re-read this book!
Thoughts from Charlotte (the panda), Fuzzy Bee, and Lillian (the husky):
Charlotte: (bawls and wipes eyes) This book…. too beautiful… I LOVE!!!!
Fuzzy Bee: Oh my wings!!! Such a beautiful book!!! Historical fiction really is one of the best genres. And the characters and the plot and the story and the themes….. Oh tis wonderful!!!
Lillian: Yes, this is a beautiful book!!!!!! Wonderful!!! Splendid!!!!!!!! I adored it! It’s a good book. A reaaaally good book! I bark my approval.
Izzy: WAIT WHY AM I NOT IN THE PICTURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ISABELLE……. (also notices the blog readers) Anywho, wonderful wonderful book, doesn’t have pandas, but it’s a beautiful story, now excuse me while I go and murder Isabelle for not including me. Isabelle: But you just included yourself!!!! Izzy: THAT DOESN’T COUNT!
About the Author:
Rosanne Parry is the author of seven award-winning middle grade novels, including the newly released A Whale of the Wild and the NY Times best seller A Wolf Called Wander which is published in 11 languages. Rosanne is a part-time bookseller at legendary Portland independent bookstore, Annie Blooms, and is the captain of the League of Exceptional Writers, a free mentoring workshop for young avid readers and writers (on hiatus until 2022). She lives with her family in an old farmhouse in Portland Oregon and writes in a treehouse in her backyard. You can find Rosanne at www.rosanneparry.com.
Thank you all so much for reading! ^^ I hope you enjoyed this review and that you shall check out Last of the Name! It is truly a beautiful book, and one that shall most certainly be one of my most beloved books I have ever read! Do let me know down in the comments what you thought of this review (or if you’ve read the book! I love hearing your thoughts!), and don’t forget to check out Marvelous Middle Grade Monday, where Greg Pattridge and a bunch of other amazing book bloggers come together every Monday to share MG book reviews, interviews, and more!
Till next time, and wishing y’all a wonderful week,
-Isabelle
P.S. What do y’all think of me reviewing a middle-grade book each week on Monday? I am uncertain if I shall be able to do so, but I rather enjoy bombarding you all with book recommendations. 🙂
I didn’t realize this author also wrote historical fiction. How cool! Thanks for sharing your review. 🙂
Yeah! I saw this book pop up on my Kindle recommendations a few times, and when I saw it was finally in KU I decided to get it! Thanks for reading!
I read this recently, and I totally agree about the characters! I really love Rosanne Parry’s earlier books like this before her career really took off with A Wolf Called Wander.
Thanks for a great review!
Indeed!! I do as well! I think I might like this better than A Wolf Called Wander, actually. XD (But A Wolf Called Wander is a brilliant book as well) Thanks for reading! I’m glad you enjoyed the review!
I love that this is a case of a boy having to pretend to be a girl, rather than the other way around! I really like historical fiction and this sounds totally worth it.
I agree! Some of the scenes when Danny was complaining about having to pretend to be a girl were absolutely hilarious to me. This is a fantastic historical fiction! You should read it!
I’ve enjoyed many of Parry’s animal stories and will have to read LAST OF THE NAME after being captivated by your review. Thanks for being a part of MMGM this week. Yes,I hope to see you often on Mondays when your time allows!
I am most glad I have convinced you to read this book. I hope you enjoy it! And yes, I loved Rosanne Parry’s animal books as well!! And thanks for having me on MMGM again this week! (I shall attempt to write a review of books every Monday whenever I can)
It sounds like there’s so much to enjoy in this one. The idea of him hiding from the Civil War draft definitely is a new twist, and it does sound amazing. Thanks so much for sharing!
There definitely is! And I loved that part as well! It had me hooked! Thanks so much for reading! I hope you read this book someday! ^^
So nice to meet Lilian! And yes, if you can do a review every Monday, I think that’s a great idea. This sounds a good story. Obviously being Irish (and with family who emigrated to America years ago) I am both delighted that the characters are Irish but worried how they are represented! But it sounds like the author has done a good job. The 6 star rating is quite impressive! Thanks for the recommendation!
Lillian barks hi! And I shall try to!! (If y’all don’t mind me bombarding you with a million and one book recommendations ;D). It is a wonderful story!!! I’m not Irish and I don’t know too much about Ireland, I fear, so I’m not quite the right person to be able to tell if the characters are represented well or not. But it was a moving story, and I’ve read Rosanne’s books before, and I do know she does a lot of research and such, so I’d hope so! Thanks for reading! I hope you pick up this book someday!
Thanks for the heads up. I do love historical fiction. This sounds like a book I would like.