Buffalo Soldier
Set in 1910s Jamaica, this historical novel follows Alfred, a boy taken into a mounted regiment, as he comes of age. His search for a place within the realities of colonial rule gives the story its force.
Work Information
In colonial Jamaica, a boy searches for where he belongs.
Through a boy’s attempts to survive in a mounted regiment, the novel portrays the violence and class structures of colonial Jamaica. It reads both as a coming-of-age story and as a search for belonging inside history.
Book Information
- Publisher
- Walker Books Ltd
- Published
- 2014-04-03
- Pages
- 368 pages
- Language
- 英語
- Size
- 12.9 x 2.2 x 19.8 cm
- ISBN-13
- 9781406314595
- ISBN-10
- 1406314595
- Price
- 717 JPY
- Category
- 洋書/Teen & Young Adult/Historical Fiction
Winner of the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2015, this is a beautiful piece of historical fiction told with heart and humanity. Winner of the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2015. "What kind of a girl steals the clothes from a dead man's back and runs off to join the army? A desperate one. That's who." At the end of the American Civil War, Charley – a young African-American slave from the deep south – is ostensibly freed. But then her adopted mother is raped and lynched at the hands of a mob and Charley is left alone. In a terrifyingly lawless land, where the colour of a person's skin can bring violent death, Charley disguises herself as a man and joins the army. Soon she's being sent to the prairies to fight a whole new war against the "savage Indians". Trapped in a world of injustice and inequality, it's only when Charley is posted to Apache territory that she begins to learn what it is to be truly free.
Tanya Landman has written numerous books for children and young people, including Buffalo Soldier , winner of the Carnegie Medal; Apache , shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and the BookTrust Teenage Prize; The Goldsmith's Daughter and Hell and High Water , shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize; and the Sam Swann and Poppy Fields mystery series - the first of which, Mondays Are Murder , won the Red House Children's Book Award. Most recently she has turned her hand to historical novels and classic retellings for middle-grade readers, and she also wrote the picture book The Song of the Nightingale , illustrated by Laura Carlin and shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal. Tanya lives in Devon. Visit her at www.tanyalandman.com.
Reviews
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Product was as described and was new as ordered. It came in the timeframe indicated at the time of ordering
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This is a very good book. I had my qualms about a white British woman writing as a Black slave but my sense of unease disappeared ten pages in. Charley's voice seemed to me entirely convincing. Similarly the huge amount of research is worn lightly, and the story told feels both authentic and organic. The story rattles along, and feels like an entire history of the grittier parts of the west. Tanya Landman pulls no punches, and bravely tackles the big questions the novel sets about sexual and racial identity. Whilst it tackles the big issues and casts a steely eye on the violence and depravity of slavery and the 'Indian wars', its tone remains nuanced. It is an angry book, but not without its moments of humour and triumph. Actually, it is better than very good, it is an excellent and necessary read, and may just be her breakthrough novel. Recommended for older teenagers and adults of all ages.
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An intelligently-written story bringing weighty and worthwhile themes to teenage listeners. A strong and captivating narrative voice, a broad palette of believable characters and a simple but highly engaging storyline, rich in action and drama. Recommended.
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Utter genius. This was my favorite read this year and was not surprised it won the Carnegie medal of 2015. The story does become long and complex, with slavery, policing the openness of America post civil war, dessimation of Native American society all being build into this near journal of the time. The narration is skilfully developed while the main character develops and describes her story. it is this element that captures the reader's attention. This book is a quadruplet, with its four main elements being brought together well. A must read and delightful set of events for family reading. So glad I read it.
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Don't be fooled by this book's young adult genre - I defy any 'adult' not to be swept away by this breathtaking book. This is no sugar coated piece of work. Its depth,honesty and brutality frequently left me in tears, and I wouldn't have had it any other way. Charley O'Hara, a recently 'emancipated' African American slave girl, finds that despite freedom, life has changed little. With no other option she joins the newly formed United States Army disguised as a boy...... This book is frequently challenging, but will leave you a changed person.