Series: Great Episodes
Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: Gulliver Books; 1 edition (July 4, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0152166874
ISBN-13: 978-0152166878
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 13 ounces
Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #1,971,883 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #98 in Books > Teens > Historical Fiction > Biographical > United States #227 in Books > Teens > Historical Fiction > United States > Colonial & Revolutionary Periods #5916 in Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Social & Family Issues > Family
Patrick Henry is known for his fiery cry of "Give me liberty or give me death"...but few realize the insanity of his wife or the breakdown of his family that may have set the scene for this historic remark.In "Or Give Me Death," Rinaldi decides to have Patrick Henry's daughters, Patsy and Anne, narrate the story of their mother Sarah's decline into madness. Through the voices of these girls-dutiful older sister Patsy and rebelliously clever middle daughter Anne-readers are completely drawn into the complex issues that plagued the Henry family. The hopeless life of the mentally ill in Colonial times is vividly shown, but this novel also adeptly shows something more striking. Indeed, what readers will remember most from this novel is the timeless story of what holds a family together and what tears them apart.Patsy and Anne both fascinatingly narrate the story. Rinaldi captures Patsy's sense of duty and stability, and convincingly portrays the pressure that she felt from her father to be the "glue" that held the family together. But even as one sympathizes with Patsy's dilemma, they will also feel for Anne. Through her eyes, Rinaldi shows how perhaps the entire Henry family went mad along with their mother and wife. Tensions resulting from secrets and grudges within the family are thoughtfully shown."Or Give Me Death" seems even more impressive when Rinaldi says in her author's note that although the entire story is not true, there are powerful "threads" of truth in it-enough truth that Rinaldi's interpretation could seem quite probable.It is refreshing to find a new angle in the life of an almost-tired historical figure.
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