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The Cape Ann
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The Cape Ann
Author: Faith Sullivan

Book Information
Publisher: Penguin
Book Type: Paperback
Rating:

ISBN-13: 9780140119794 - ISBN-10: 0140119795
Publication Date: 7/2/1989
Pages: 352


Other Versions of this Book: Hardcover

Book Description:
This is the kind of old-fashioned novel whose period flavor is as enjoyable as the story it tells. Set in the small town of Harvester, Minn., during the Depression, it is narrated by six-year-old Lark Ann Erhardt, who recounts a pivotal year in her life. Since Papa is a clerk on the railroad, spunky Mama Erhardt has converted an empty room in the depot into the family's living quarters while she saves money toward the house she and Lark dream of owning. Arlene Erhardt is a strict but loving mother who requires good manners from Lark but also engages in imaginative play with her daughter. Though she strives to be a dutiful wife, the Erhardt's marriage is incompatible: Papa, a bully and a compulsive gambler, keeps losing the slowly amassed nest-egg in poker games. When Papa beats Lark for biting her nails, she records her angry reactions in a secret notebook called her ``sin list,'' a tally of all the guilty thoughts she must remember to report on her First Communion. The sense of sin the nuns have instilled, combined with a typically childish misconception of how babies are born, involves Lark in an anguished situation when her aunt's baby dies at birth. Death, marital disharmony and the cruelty of some townspeople toward a brain-damaged veteran are some of the adult concerns Lark begins to understand, and finally she is forced to choose between her parents when a crisis moves Mama to action.

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Top Member Book Reviews

Kathleen C. (Woodchuck) wrote on 7/26/2005...

2 member(s) found this review helpful.

From School Library Journal
YA The Cape Ann is the name on the plans of the house that Lark Ann Ehrhart and her mother plan to build some day. It is the place to which six-year-old Lark escapes in daydreams when her parents begin to argue, the home that her mother dreams offar from the rooms in the train depot where they live and Lark's father works. Ultimately it symbolizes escape from Harvester, Minn., and independence from the husband and father whose gambling repeatedly sabotages their dream. Lark narrates the adult events of Harvester's Catholic culture without always understanding them. Her point of view adds depth to the story, though occasionally it is more adult than a six year old's would be. Characters are fully colored; historical references firmly set the story in the Depression and beyond. Lark's perceptions, her changes and those of the characters around her will relate to those YAs, who will enjoy Sullivan's flowing and well-crafted story. Sally Bates, Houston Pub . Lib .
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.I WISH THERE WERE MORE THAN 5 STARS TO AWARD THIS BOOK!, February 28, 2001
Reviewer: Gayla Collins (Sheridan, WYOMING USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
Being a voracious reader of fiction for the past 40 years, I do not know how I missed this masterpiece of literature till now. The adage "better late than never" applies perfectly here.

The story of six year old Lark, viewing life in Minnesota during the depression, is so compelling you will experience every gamit of emotion possible. What's more, you will yield willingly to every feeling, being instantly captured by the the myriad of perceptions lurking in Lark's furtile imagination. As you read a smile will settle on your face so long it will ache; then tears will flood unabashedly; your anger will flare at the indiginites; and then a smile will return. I could rave on, but I want to sum it up with this paragraph:

If you could only read one book this whole year, this would be the one to choose. Everything that is compelling and stirring about storytelling is weaved brillantly in this tapestry of life. You will laud your choice to everyone you know, as this must be read by all that appreciate the nuances of excellent writing.

Sharon S. (Shar) wrote on 12/31/2005...

1 member(s) found this review helpful.

This is a great read! Every page held me!


Please Rate these Book Reviews

Jean M. (lifelonglearner) wrote on 3/2/2007...


Life as seen through the eyes of a six-year-old narrator. We all too often forget how our words or actions are perceived by those around us.

Deborah S. (arabella) - PA wrote on 7/11/2006...


I really enjoyed reading this book. It is told through the eyes of a child. That is what makes this book special. The childs emphasis is not the same as adults.


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