Giff,
Patricia Reilly. 1997. LILY’S CROSSING. New York:
Yearling. ISBN: 0440414539
Connections
Plot
As
Lily begins her annual trip to her family’s summer home by the ocean, she is
unaware that this summer will be nothing like the joyful escapes she has had in
the past. Her father is about to leave
for the war, her best friend’s family is relocating for wartime work, and a
mysterious foreigner is about to
Critical Analysis
Patricia
Reilly Giff writes of the beautiful seaside town of Rockaway in 1944, inflicted
with the adversities of World War II. Shop
owners struggle to stay in business as supplies are harder to come by, and ships
line the horizon as they head into war.
Lily
is a spunky and strong-willed character who cares little about the consequences
that accompany her poor choices. But her
guiltless lying and thieving habits are challenged when she befriends a boy who
is depending on her to help him find his lost sister. As the two share secrets and grief over
war-torn relationships, Lily begins to see her prejudices and assumptions in a
new light, and grows to realize that her choices can have serious and painful effects
for herself and others.
Giff
uses well-written characters to bring the hardships of war to life. Motherless Lily is so angered by her father’s
announcement that he is being called to war, she leaves home for the day and is
burdened with guilt over not saying good-bye.
Lily’s father, Poppy, faithfully writes her letters and keeps his
promise to let her know where he is (despite the required military censorship)
through clues left in book titles. Stern
Gran, constantly trying to keep Lily’s behavior in line, exposes her soft side
through moments of tears and worry over her son’s deployment. Margaret, Lily’s friend who has had to
relocate for her father’s wartime employment, writes of the terrible fear her
family lives with as her enlisted brother has gone missing in battle. And the reader’s heart will be most torn when
they learn the story of Albert, whose parents were murdered by the government
for printing an anti-Hitler newspaper and who was separated from his sister –
his only remaining family – during their long, covert trip towards America.
This
story starts as a simple summer vacation, but each page peels back another
layer of an emotional, wartime story and the community that presses on through
hardship and tragedy.
Review Excerpts
"Details...are
woven with great effect into a realistic story." --The Horn Book Magazine
"Exceptional
characterizations and a robust story line...this has all the ingredients that
best reward readers." --Publishers Weekly
"Brilliantly
told." --The New York Times Book Review
"With
wry comedy and intense feeling...Giff gets across a strong sense of what it was
like on the home front during World War II...The friendship story is
beautifully drawn." --Booklist
Connections
- Read other World War II stories such as The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley or Duke by Kirby Larson
- Include in a study of World War II
- Include in a thematic study of strong female characters
Awards and Honors
- 1998 Newbery Honor Book
- ALA Notable Book
- Horn Book Honor Book
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