Review of Shenandoah Dreams

[Bertha Jackson]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Shenandoah Dreams" by Clinton Harris.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Shenandoah Dreams by Clinton Harris is about Jonathan, a 12-year-old boy who lives with his Ma, Pa, and adopted sister, Hope, during the Great Depression. Hope was the sister of his best friend, Charles, but Ma and Pa adopted her after her mother died during her birth, and they discovered that she had polio and had to walk with leg braces. Jonathan and Charles were constantly beaten up by the school bully, Bob Benning, who hated Charles because he was black and Jonathan for being Charles's friend. This bullying did not keep Jonathan from having a crush on Bob's sister, Maggie. Pa teaches Jonathan how to keep the family farm going. Jonathan loses his pocketknife one day while fishing and a strange older man returns it to him. One day walking home from town, after Pa and Jonathan stop by a maple tree where Pa teaches Jonathan how to get maple syrup, he sees Pa fall off a cliff. Does Pa die? How does this accident impact Jonathan's future? Who was the older man?

Clinton Harris did a fantastic job keeping me enthralled with the story because I could not put any of the exciting events together until the end of the story. The demographic and character development allowed me to visualize the beauty of the Shenandoah Valley, and the characters were realistic. There are eight inspirational and thought-provoking quotes throughout the book that helped me understand the consequences of the events. My favorite was "We are products of our past, but we don't have to be prisoners of it" by Rick Warren. At the beginning of each part of the book, an illustration of the Shenandoah Valley helped me picture the scenery. There are many lessons that readers can learn from this book. For example, if all you do is hate, you cannot know love, and sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to rise above a situation. These lessons help readers become better people. I loved the end of the book, which came as a complete surprise.

There are a couple of things that disappointed me about this book. Firstly, a professional editor has not edited this book because I found over ten errors. Secondly, there are significant age gaps between the events in the book that left me with many questions. To say more would reveal spoilers, but it all makes sense at the end.

This book would deserve the maximum rating if the author had it professionally edited. As it stands, I can only give this book 3 out of 4 stars.

If you enjoy historical fiction about the Great Depression, you will enjoy this book. The book contains romance and mystery for those readers who enjoy those aspects. If bullying, racism, minor sexual content, and borderline profanity trigger you, you may want to avoid this book.

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Shenandoah Dreams
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[Lucy Vera]

I'm always curious to read about the Great Depression. This could be worth my time. Thank you for your thorough review.

[Shivansh_Reviews]

I was literally shocked by the end of the summary of the book. I'm really curious to know what happened to pa and what will Jonathan do about it. Wonderful review.

[Mmaduabuchi Eze]

I especially love the message contained in this book: if all you do is hate, you cannot know love. I'm equally impressed this book addressed some global concerns , like racism and oppression. Hope it will make an interesting read.

[Paluk Pathania]

The book's cover is absolutely mesmerizing! But also, I love how opposite the book's plot seems to be. I bet this is going to be an amazing read. Thanks for your wonderful review!

[Steinkar]

Yikes! Editing errors are so frustrating. This aspect will turn me away from this book.

[Ghuddie]

It'll be interesting to read about the great depression. Great review.