In this sequel to Across the Wide River, the Rankin home is still a beacon of freedom on the Underground Railroad. The book offers a further glimpse into a dark period of America's past.
Stephanie Reed, author of The Light Across the River, makes it clear that being part of the Underground Railroad was a very exciting adventure, yet one that required much care and responsibility. Johnny yearns to be an important part of the Railroad with his family, but when will his father be able to trust him? Will Johnny ever learn to control his tongue so his father can trust him with secrets that matter?
Reed keeps the story moving chronologically through a little more than a year’s time. At 11 years old, Johnny is proud of his brothers’ and father’s work and is anxious for acceptance into their world. He runs into a slave escapee, Eliza, who quickly becomes a close friend. Her extreme courage and unwavering faith become motivating factors in helping Johnny grow into the man he knows he needs to be. A very dramatic scene is when Eliza is escaping from Kentucky with her infant son Mose. She finds the river ice has begun to break up and melt. It’s either cross with the likely chance of drowning or be whipped and sold to a stranger. She trusts God for each step across the floating chunks of ice.
Everyone in the town of Ripley seems to know that Johnny can’t keep a secret. He has been taught by his family the wisdom of Proverbs 21:23: “He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from troubles.” Nevertheless, he lets Eliza’s story slip to a family friend, and the stark reality of his own weakness causes him to wonder whether he will cause Eliza to be recaptured. It takes near death situations in the Rankin family to bring him to the awareness of the importance of holding one’s tongue. His care for Eliza and his understanding of the seriousness of the work lead him into manhood and an active role as a helper in assisting the slaves to freedom.
Johnny has a tender heart and longs to be heroic, but his immaturity and quick tongue shatter his dreams through most of the story. The ridicule he gets from his family and the community makes him overly self-conscious of his weakness. His father’s wisdom in setting restraints on Johnny, yet still endeavoring to train him, is exemplary. When Eliza enters the story, Johnny’s role in helping the slaves becomes more of a reality than a fantasy.
Although it takes a few chapters for the action to build, this story becomes very intense and hard to put down. It contains all you could want in an historical novel. Danger, courage, suspense, corruption and heroism are carefully woven throughout. The Rankin family and their friends exhibit Christ-like attributes of love, courage, and a lack of vengeance toward their enemies. The author tries to tie in a little romance now and then, which doesn’t seem helpful for the age group of the reader. Otherwise, lessons in history, responsibility, and in trusting your parents make the book excellent for pre-teen to teen years. The story is very enjoyable and exciting to read. Karin Litchfield, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com
Average Rating: 5 out of 5 stars(5 out of 5 stars)
6 of 6 Reviews Showing:
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Cathi Hassan (Cincinnati, Ohio), August 28, 2009
The Light Across the River is historical fiction based strongly on true history. Rev. John Rankin and his family were strong abolitionists who, from their farm perched above the Ohio River, helped around 2000 slaves on their way to freedom. As they grew old enough, his thirteen children became part of the family business. One of these children was Johnny Rankin, and this novel is basically seeing events through his story. While the bigger picture is about the drama of conducting slaves safely to the next station, there is also the more personal story of Johnny maturing and learning some valuable life lessons. Johnny is known as a blabbermouth, so it isn't an easy thing for his parents to trust him with any knowledge of the people moving through their home or of other conductors. So many lives would be affected if he blabbed any secrets. He also needed some attitude adjustments about his oldest brother Lowry and his place in the family. On one hand The Light Across the River deals with the true story of the Underground Railroad, but on the other it is the story of a young boy growing up and dealing with problems many others of his age can identify with.
Personally, I was intrigued with the story of the real Eliza from Uncle Tom's Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe's world-changing book. As it turns out, Eliza was a real traveler who came across the Ohio on breaking ice, stopping at the Rankins' home. Eliza's incredible story mingles with Johnny's and eventually, through the Rankins' connections to Lane Theological Seminary, becomes part of a novel that helped to spread the ideas of abolition.
I highly recommend this novel for any mid-grade readers, and I even encourage older readers to look into it and the previous Rankin novel, Across the Wide River. For any home schoolers, I urge you to include these books as part of your reading program, something that you can discuss along with studies on slavery, abolition, and the Underground Railroad.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Cindy Thomson (Ohio), December 03, 2008
The Light Across the River is an inspiring story based on true events. Stephanie Reed has done her homework in researching the Underground Railroad at the Kentucky-Ohio border and has brought to life the lives of the men and women who sought to protect the lives of slaves. The book earns five stars for engaging prose.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Susan Marlow (Enumclaw, WA), August 14, 2008
Johnny Rankin can’t keep a secret. This wouldn’t be such an issue if his family (the true-life Rankin family of Ripley, Ohio) were not involved in the Underground Railroad. Johnny’s “loose tongue” could endanger many lives. Oh, how he wants to help lead slaves to freedom in Canada, but he simply cannot be trusted to keep his mouth shut.
Then one day he is called upon to help a woman and her baby escape. He learns of her incredible crossing over the half-frozen Ohio River and lets the story slip to none other than Harriet Beecher Stowe. Will Johnny’s indiscretion be the cause of Eliza’s capture and return to slavery?
Set between the years 1837-1841, The Light Across the River gives readers a fresh view of the incredible story of the slave Eliza—immortalized in Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the book that set a nation aflame just before the Civil War. Chapters switch points of view between Johnny Rankin and Eliza, and tell the “story behind the story” of not only Eliza’s escape but also how she returns for her family, aided by the Rankin family. The author’s in-depth portrayal of Johnny and his family is laced with true-life accounts, gleaned from the journals Johnny wrote later in life.
The Light Across the River has everything I, as a homeschool mom, love to see in historical fiction: history, action, suspense, and adventure. It’s a page-turning story of real people living out their convictions. Highly recommended.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Donna Shepherd (Cincinnati, OH), August 02, 2008
Light Across the River is the sequel to Across the Wide River. Both historical novels by Stephanie Reed tell the story of the Rankin family, conductors for the Underground Railroad. Reed’s careful research shows in the authentic dialogue and settings.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first book and recommend reading it first, but this book stands on its own. Reading the exciting and heartwarming adventure told through the eyes of Johnny Rankin and Eliza, a runaway slave, I cried, I laughed, and I learned. I shivered as the chunks of ice gave way under Eliza’s feet as she navigated the Ohio River in her desperate escape from slavery. Taking in shallow breaths, I could almost hear the slave hunters’ dogs and prayed that Eliza wouldn’t be found before she made her way to freedom – something we take for granted.
You’ll never forget the story. What a treasure trove of information and inspiration! Though designated as juvenile fiction, this is a book for all ages.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Stephenie Hovland (La Crescent, MN), July 05, 2008
As I read this book, I couldn't help but make plans for my classroom. If I had a copy of this novel for each student, we could do an in-depth study of it. I see great potential for classroom use. From reading skills like makind predictions and inferring to math (real-life problems) to history (of course!) I see drama possibilities and debate teams taking up the issue of helping those who cross the river vs. following the law of the land vs. going into slave territory and rescuing people. I hope Stephanie has started a classroom companion book for teachers. There are so many ways to use each chapter, the book is worth every penny (and then some!)
Now, just because I like the book, and I'm a teacher, doesn't mean it reads like a textbook. Far from it. Kids who like historical fiction will most definitely love it. Kids who like adventure will also like it (especially the last half when Johnny gets closer to the action and closer to getting killed.)
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Evelyn B. Christensen (Lexington, KY), May 28, 2008
This fascinating historical novel will transport you into the pre-Civil War times of the Underground Railroad, into the lives of those who struggled to gain their freedom and into the lives of those who put their Christian faith into action day in and day out as they sought to assist those who were trying to escape from slavery. Stephanie Reed has done an excellent job in this sequel to Across the Wide River of capturing and bringing to life for the reader the struggles, dangers, fears, and joys of the Rankins, Eliza, and their families and friends. I found the book to be exciting, informative, and most of all wonderfully inspiring. I highly recommend it.
Write a review of The Light Across The River # 2
Catalog Shopping
Membership
