Ivy by Julie Hearn

Ivy by Julie Hearn

Hearn, Julie. Ivy. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2008. 355 pages. $17.99. ISBN 1416925066

Readers Annotation: The laudanum addicted Ivy becomes part of the strange Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood as the model of a brotherhood hopeful.

Plot Summary: After running away from her family, Ivy is taken in by Carroty Kate, a cunning thief, and her group of vagabonds. Ivy learns the trade of snatching good clothes to sell off the backs of children, and also develops a dependency on laudanum. After one of their ruses goes horribly wrong, Ivy goes back to her family. Years later, she is spotted by Oscar, a painter who hopes to become part of the Pre-Raphaelite school of painters. Believing that Ivy is his muse, he attempts to secure her as his model. Her family, poor and very greedy, forces her into his employ. Ivy doesn’t like being a model, but must work or be forced back on the streets. Oscar’s mother doesn’t like Ivy as her sons new model either, and makes every attempt to murder the girl. Oscar’s neighbor, none other than the famous Dante Gabriel Rossetti, sees Ivy one day and decides he needs to have her as his own model. Meanwhile, Ivy finds friendship with Rosa, a girl who runs a home for stray dogs with her father. She finds her passion in life when able to care for the dogs. When invited to stay at Kelmscott Manor, the home of William Morris, Ivy intends to go but is imprisoned by Oscar’s jealous mother in hopes that she will over-dose on laudanum. Just when Ivy thinks she will never escape, an unlikely rescue party appears.

Critical Evaluation: I was drawn to this book when I learned that it centered on the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. I’ve done a few research papers on these artists, and know all of their names and histories. However, I don’t believe the average teenager will recognize the significance of some of the situations in the novel without knowing a bit about the Pre-Raphaelites. Hearn describes the neighbor of Ivy’s employer, discussing his appearance, where he comes from, and the drama associated with him, including digging up his wife’s grave to retrieve a collection of poems. I knew who she was describing, but Hearn never mentioned his name until about ¾ of the way through the novel. Even then, if I remember correctly, she only mentions his last name. Also, when Oscar travels to Kelmscott Manor, Hearn doesn’t directly explain whose manor house it is, and then I believe she only mentions William Morris’s wife’s name. I felt that the book left a lot of guesswork for the reader, if they didn’t have prior knowledge of these artists. That being said, I thought the book was captivating and a very creative glimpse into the lives of Pre-Raphaelite artists, or at least brotherhood hopefuls. She describes the real dangers of laudanum, and makes Ivy such a frustrating character; the reader wants to shake her at times. I think Ivy is a great addition to any YA collection, especially since it seems like the first of its kind.

Reading Level: The reading level of Ivy is high school, fourteen to eighteen, especially because of the drug use.

Book talk ideas: I would read a selection about the state Ivy is in when she is under the influence of laudanum. I would discuss that many people took laudanum as medicine, but it is now considered an hallucinogenic drug. Other books I would suggest include the Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray, for those interested in the 19th century.

Why it is included: I chose this book mainly for the subject matter. I’d never seen a book, especially a YA book, set in the middle of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. It was on two best book lists in 2008.

Challenge Issues: I think the drug use in the novel would cause some controversy, however at the time laudanum was taken medicinally. Hearn does not portray Ivy’s use of laudanum in a romanticized manor, instead portrays Ivy as we would portray a pot smoker today. Thus it doesn’t encourage drug use, and therefore is not a risk to impressionable minds.

The Minister's Daughter by Julie Hearn

The Minister's Daughter by Julie Hearn

Hearn, Julie. The Minister’s Daughter. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2005. 263 pages. $17.99. ISBN 0689876904

Readers Annotation: After frolicking with a boy in the village, the minister’s daughter finds herself with child. She cons her sister into helping her blame the cunning woman’s granddaughter Nell of witchcraft.

Plot Summary: Grace and Patience are seen as the well-behaved daughters of the new town minister. No one but Patience knows of her sister’s frolicking with Sam, a boy in the village. Soon, Grace finds herself with child and realizes that Sam will never be honorable and marry her. She must get rid of the child, so she goes to the village cunning woman. Nell knows her grandmother’s mind slowly slipping away, even more so when she gives the wrong ingredients to a man in need of a purge. When Grace comes looking for a way to rid herself of her child, Nell turns her away when she learns the child is a sacred Merrybegot. To get her revenge for Nell’s refusal to help, she cons her sister into helping her make quite a scene. They scream, thrash, spit pins and remain bedridden all in the name of Satan and his helper, Nell. Going back and forth between Nell’s narrative, and Patience’s confession many years later, the reader learns both sides of the story when the sisters accuse Nell of witchcraft.

Critical Evaluation: The first time I read this book I listened to the audio book. Maybe it was the way the narrator read and the voices she gave to the characters, but I didn’t like it. I decided to give it a second chance for this project however. Reading it again I decided it was an excellent reflection of what a cunning woman’s trade is like, and the risks involved. I was not expecting the fae to be mixed into a period piece about witchcraft, but for some reason it didn’t seem to take away from the reality of the story. After thinking about Nell’s point of view, I realized she would have fully believed in faeries, and would have many beliefs that Christians of the time would have taken as superstitions. The ignorance of the minister’s daughters was frustrating in contrast to the simplicity and happiness of Nell’s life despite her grandmothers deteriorating mind, at least before their accusations began. I appreciated Hearn’s attempt to bring light to the other side of the witch trials. She attempted to give a voice to those who did live as Nell and her grandmother, and the reality of the Christian influence of the time forcing Pagans to practice their beliefs in secret, often times forcing them to abandon it altogether.

Reading Level: This book, due to the subject matter, best suits high school age readers although the reading level would suit that of a middle school reader.

Book talk ideas: I would read a selection of the book; one of the girls’ “episodes” would reflect the book well. I would discuss that many of the women accused of being witches were falsely accused. I would suggest Newes from the Dead to as an alternative.

Challenge Issues: The portrayal of the cunning woman and her granddaughter, as well as other pagans, could cause some people to take issue with the book. In response to this I would argue that these were beliefs of people not only at the time the book takes place, but also in modern times. It is unfair to exclude such beliefs just because one religion disagrees.