Reviews for Flying south

The average rating for Flying south based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2010-02-28 00:00:00 Kayt Fitzpatrick It is 1968 and Alice, on the brink of turning 11, is spending a typical summer at home with Doc, their older gardner who she considers her best friend, and Edna, the sweet, paitent cook. Doc, at times cranky and grumpy, decides he wants to teach Alice about the roses, so she will be able to take care of the landscape when he is gone. They live in Virginia, in the house that Alice's mother grew up in. Through Alice's eyes, the reader uncovers a rich, difficult history of a family and gets a glimpse into the political turmoil of the time. Alice's mother, Grace, moved back to the mansion she grew up in after running away at a young age with an aspiring pilot. He left her, with a very young Alice, and eventually Alice's grandmother brought them back to Virginia. Alice's grandparents are no longer alive, but through Doc and Edna she learns a bit more about Grace's wild ways and how her grandparents disapproved of her father. When Grace meets a wealthy, conservative politician, Alice's tomboy rambunctiousness becomes something of a problem. He has the great idea of having Alice spend time with his niece who is in town for the summer so that she can teach Alice tennis and refine her ways. Things get serious with Grace's boyfriend. But when his proposal of marriage comes with a threat towards Alice, mom and daughter's relationship gets shaken and both must stand up for themselves. This short chapter book for middle school students would be a good way to open up discussion about women's changing roles and the political events of the time. It is a good text for exploring mother/daughter relationships and coming of age, loyalty and friendship.

Review # 2 was written on 2019-12-02 00:00:00 Chad Landen A story about growing up in the Summer of 1968. A summer of trouble in Virginia, US. Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther Luther Jr both assassinated, violent protesters against Vietnam and the black struggle continues. But also a summer for growing up. All the struggles of choosing to spend lots of time with an elderly gardener or a family member of her mother's new boyfriend. Will her mother's boyfriend marry her mother or not?