Review of Hartford 1944

[Faithy_Goody_Star]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Hartford 1944" by S. Michael McAllister.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Janie Firefly is a special kind of girl in that she had some imaginary friends and seemed to cause trouble for everyone, especially her family. However, others cherished or were fascinated by her. Despite her young age, she constantly rebelled against her parents and often took serious risks, enough to harm her or cost her life. Her imaginary friends often motivated these risks. How much trouble did she cause? What will Janie’s life turn out to be due to this behaviour of hers?

As much as the major character in Hartford 1944 is a child, I would not want to call it a children’s book. Various elements do not make it fit into just one category. Although there were no explicit gory war scenes, it was set during World War 2. In addition, an event depicted in this book is a well-known one in American history. So, it leans more toward historical fiction.

Among other things, what I loved the most about this book was the way it made me feel. I laughed, smiled, and giggled. The humour employed by the author was indeed top-notch! For example, Janie’s granny bought her a present. She was so excited, but when she unwrapped it, she was so disappointed because it was an alarm clock. Her grandmother bought it due to her consistent lateness to school. I find that revealing all the parts I found amusing would be me spoiling the fun for you. So grab this book and see for yourself.

My favourite character was undoubtedly Janie. Although I found some of her actions rash, I loved how bold she was, especially in the face of adversity. While it is unrealistic to set her level of boldness as the standard, I believe everyone, including children and adults, can learn from it.

At the initial stage of reading Hartford 1944 by S. Michael McAllister, I found it difficult to flow with the story. As a result, I had to reread some parts or read slowly in order not to miss some points. However, subsequently, I flowed with the book. This is probably because I got acquainted with the storyline and language of the book.

Apart from the initial but short-lived difficulty in grasping this book, I do not have any complaints about it. The book was professionally edited since I found only a few errors. The unique and engaging storyline and my positive comments above suggest that it is apparently deserving of an impeccable rating. Therefore, I am rating it four out of four stars.

If you would like to read about the escapades of an American child during the time of the war and how she ended up, this book will entertain you. Thus, I recommend it to the aforementioned group of people. 

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Hartford 1944
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Uwe Neufeld]

Is a book which story happens almost a century ago a history book?
I am not sure, but I can say the reviewer did a wonderfull job.

[Mildred Echesa]

Bold characters are exciting because of how they think about and do their things. Janie's character is, therefore, one to be admired.