Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

Bibliography:

Vanderpool, Clare. Moon Over Manifest. Unabridged ed. New York:  Listening Library. 2011. ISBN 9780375858291

Plot Summary:

Twelve-year-old Abilene Tucker lives with her father Gideon, her mother having left the family when she was a toddler. Times are tough living during the Depression, but Abilene and her daddy survive together. Her father gets a job on the railroad and sends Abilene to live with a family friend, "Pastor Shady" in Manifest, Kansas. Her father lived in Manifest as a boy and told her all about the bustling, mining town. Things have changed in Manifest and it is not the same town Gideon grew up in…it is much quieter.

Abilene wants to find out why her daddy sent her to Manifest for the summer and is curious about what his life was like while he lived there. She discovers a hidden cigar box full of trinkets and letters on her first night in Manifest. Abilene begins to seek out the history of the objects in the box and any information she can find out about her dad. Abilene makes friends with two classmates and with Miss Sadie, a diviner, who has significant knowledge of the town's history.

One letter from the box tells about two friends, Ned and Jinx, who lived in Manifest during the time it was a bustling mining town. The girls learn about “The Rattler” who was apparently a spy during this time. They are on a mission to find out the identity of the spy. Miss Sadie fills Abilene in on what happened in Manifest back during the war. These stories are related to the items in the box Abilene found. During this period, the townspeople come up with a plan to make and sell a special elixir to people with influenza.  Their goal is to come up with enough money to buy a valuable piece of land.

Abilene is looking for her father’s story, but she is also looking for her own…

                “Seems like everyone in this town’s got a story to tell.”

                Shady nodded. “I believe you’re right about that. The Lord himself knew the power of a good story. How it can reach out and wrap around a person like a warm blanket.”

                I thought it over. He was right. I just wished my daddy’d wrapped me up in that warm blanket instead of leaving me out in the cold.

Listening Experience:

I read Moon Over Manifest by listening to an audio book from Audible. The unabridged version was 9 hours and 31 minutes long. There were multiple female readers;  Jenna Lamia, Cassandra Campbell, and Kirby Heyborne. The sound quality was good and there were no sound effects or a musical soundtrack.

The reading was good, but about three-fourths of the way through the audio book I switched to a print book. I found myself wondering a bit while listening and didn't really pay attention to the dates that began that chapters. I found with the print book I focused more on the dates and it helped me understand which story (story within a story format) the chapter was about. I would recommend the print book to students because of the different time periods and the different stories.

Critical Analysis:

Characters:

Unique characters fill this special story. We begin with Abilene, a little girl trying to find her place in the world. I think many kids can relate to Abilene and the struggles she is going through. She meets several interesting characters throughout her journey. Most are believable, a few are rather eccentric…all are survivors. The most memorable would have to be Miss Sadie and Pastor Shady, who both add a lot of fun to the story.

Plot:

The plot of this story is fairly complicated: it is a story within a story with different time periods and lots of jumping back and forth. I found myself getting lost a time or two. I think it would be hard for younger students to read and understand; it is definitely more appropriate for older elementary or middle school students. The plot, however, is suspenseful and full of surprises.

Setting:

The Depression-era small town of Manifest, Kansas is a central part of the story. Manifest is throughly described and readers are definitely mindful that the story is set in a small town in Kansas during the Great Depression. Other important parts of the setting central to the story include World War I, Ku Klux Klan activities, and World War II.

Theme:

The theme of Moon Over Manifest is told to us by Shady…it is the power of a story. It can be the story of a town, the story of a person, or our own story. Abilene is looking for where she belongs in her story and also her father’s story. Abilene is looking for where she belongs; home. Universal themes present in this story also include: loneliness, perseverance, community, friendship, and prejudice.

Style:

The author’s style captures the feeling of the times with letters from Pvt. Ned Gillen and newspaper columns from Hattie Mae’s News Auxiliary and articles from the Manifest Herald. Vanderpool wrote two different storylines that come together at the end. I listened to the story most of the way through, but found it easier to understand the time changes when I read the actual book.

Authenticity:

Author Clare Vanderpool includes an author’s note, sources, and suggestions for further reading at the end of the book. An Educators Guide is also included with thematic connections, curriculum connections, and a conversation with Clare Vanderpool. She achieves a nice balance of fact and fiction, which leads to an award winning story.

Review Excerpts:

• 2011 NEWBERY Medal Winner
• 2011 Spur Award: Best Western Juvenile Fiction~Western Writers of America 
• 2011 Kansas Notable Book
• From author Patricia Reilly Giff- "The best book I've read in ages. I'll long remember Abilene and the people she loved... An amazing book! I laughed and cried and ached for Abilene."
• From Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "The absolute necessity of story as a way to redemption and healing past wounds is at the heart of this beautiful debut, and readers will cherish every word up to the heartbreaking yet hopeful and deeply gratifying ending."
• From Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Witty, bold, and curious, Abilene is as unforgettable as the other residents of Manifest, and the variety of voices allows the town's small mysteries to bloom. Replete with historical details and surprises, Vanderpool's debut delights, while giving insight into family and community."
• From School Library Journal- "But I definitely think this is one of the strongest novels.This, too, is character-driven–with Abilene, Jinx, and the entire town of Manifest drawn in fine detail–but it’s also a very plot-driven book, and I am a plot-driven reader so it’s no surprise that I would warm up to this as I got past those early chapters into the meat of the story."  
• From Booklist- "Vanderpool weaves humor and sorrow into a complex tale involving murders, orphans, bootlegging, and a mother in hiding. With believable dialogue, vocabulary and imagery appropriate to time and place, and well-developed characters, this rich and rewarding first novel is 'like sucking on a butterscotch. Smooth and sweet.'"
• From Horn Book- "It's 1936 and Abilene's father, himself looking for work, sends her to his hometown of Manifest, Kansas, to live with Pastor Shady, a bootlegger-turned-preacher. There Abilene uncovers secrets about her family and the entire community. The setting jumps between the Depression era and WWI; mysterious letters and enlightening newspaper articles help set the scene for this captivating tale."
• From Library Media Collection- "Anyone interested in historical fiction would be mesmerized by this story, even students who enjoy stories about adventurous kids will be satisfied."

Connections:

Gather other historical fiction books to share:

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne ISBN 9780385751537

I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 by Lauren Tarshis ISBN 9780545207003

George Washington’s Socks by Elvira Woodruff ISBN 9780590440363

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia ISBN 9780060760908

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai ISBN 9780061962790

Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two by Joseph Bruchac ISBN 978-0142405963

Gather other books by Clare Vanderpool to share:

Navigating Early ISBN 9780385742092

Internet Resources:

World War I Propaganda Posters
WWI Posters
The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum
woodrowwilson.org/
Great Depression Facts
Great Depression Facts

A Memento for Abilene-After the end of the story, Abilene's father gives her one more memento to add to her collection. Describe in detail the new memento and its significance.