Published in 1991 but set during the great depression, this novel shows that even in the worst times our best selves can be found. Nothing to FearThe story which was inspired by Koller's family history follows Danny, a thirteen year old boy and his journey of self discovery and survival. This book gives us a picture of growing up in the mist of great difficulty. We felt like this novel was the male version of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. There were a lot of similarities with both stories and gave us the feeling that Francie and Danny could of been neighbors and struggling to survive together.
One of the reasons we like reading historical fiction is because when we turn the last page we are left with a connection to history through the eyes of a characters we are invested in. One of the historical nuggets we learned through this book was about the "Bonus Army". The "Bonus Army" was a group of 43,000 demonstrators and 17,000 veterans of WWI that were demanding early cash redemption of their service bonus certificates from WWI. The demonstrators were shot at, had belongings burned, and endured tear gas in an attempt to clear them from government property. The group did not give up and in 1936 were given their bonuses early and laid the groundwork for the current GI bill.
Jackie French Koller is not just an author but is also an artist. She owns an art studio in Boxborough Massachusetts.
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