April Morning
by Howard Fast
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Book Summary Information
Author: Howard FastEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1983-11-01
ISBN: 0553273221
Number of pages: 208
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Publisher: Bantam
Book Reviews of April Morning
Book Review: The Best Story is That of the Author Just Years Prior to This Book's Publication
Summary: 4 Stars
Encapsulated in three parts focusing upon one family, this book delivers the reader to the harsh realties of the war - and all seen through the eyes of an early teenage boy.
The first third focuses upon Adam Cooper's strained relationship with his overbearing and tough father, Moses, who could be described as anything but warm and fuzzy. The relationship includes references by son to mother that "father doesn't love me" and other such common statements by teens who misinterpret strong armed guidance as being disapproval.
Then the whole world changes. Men gather to determine what to do as the red coats are marching from the Boston port to the outskirts of Concord - the place where rumors assert the colonials hold large amounts of powder and other armaments - weapons of mass destruction for people of that era.
The men meet and create a "muster" in Lexington which lies between the port and Concord. Recruits come, which include the string bean Adam. Father, who would ordinarily whip the son for disobeying his order to remain at home while he recruited troops, steadfastly sits and accepts the son's enlistment - only to be followed by a clearly obvious disapproval by his spouse when he returns home. This argument between parents in the 18th century has repeated itself through this day - amazingly history continues to repeat itself as boys aiming to be men cut off the metaphorical umbilical cord to enter man's least attractive venture: war.
Peace is sought out at first. Speak to one another like rational beings. But, the British shoot first and ask no questions later. Adam learns from the original incident. He understood, "It isn't the same anymore. . . [T]oday we knew that we wouldn't fight. But now we know that we must, and we're learning how."
And, we watch the horror of war, and Adam's sudden and immediate delivery to manhood. Still a string bean and short on years to truly be declared a man, his witnessing numerous events of the Battle of Lexington amount to a decade of lessons and he ends the book placing his head on the pillow being a completely different person than he was only a few days before. As Adam states, his childhood and his world are "over and done with and gone for all time."
Author Fast wrote often about liberty. He fought for the same while writing about historical references to great events in American liberty. In 1950, Fast was ordered to appear before the House of Un-American Activities Committee. He refused to name fellow members of American Communist Party and, in turn, he was sentenced to three months in prison. Interestingly, after being blacklisted, he wrote incredibly heart felt books of American issues of freedom such as this - a 1961 masterpiece directed mainly for children.
The richly depictive 18th century dialogue of the puritanical American delivered by the high school drop out Jewish New Yorker Howard Fast is amazing. I liked the contents and events in this book more than its 19th century counterpart - "Red Badge of Courage." Each is worthy of class room instruction and attention. I only wish this had been included in my curriculum.
Summary of April Morning
The story of one day in the life of a young American boy in colonial Lexington, the day on which he joined the militia and saw his father shot down by the British.General Books
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