The Hollow Tree - Softcover

Janet Lunn is one of Canada's most well-known authors. Her novels include the best-selling ALA Notable Book The Root Cellar.

Grade 5-9-Neither patriot nor Tory, Phoebe finds herself caught between conflicting loyalties. After her father is killed fighting for freedom with the rebels, the 15-year-old lives with her Loyalist relatives in the mountains along the Vermont/New Hampshire border. Her eldest cousin Gideon, who serves as a British scout, is caught and hanged in the village after he secretly returns. Phoebe's sense of love and duty compels her to try to complete Gideon's dangerous mission, and she sets out for Fort Ticonderoga through the wilderness. Her journey becomes a voyage of self-discovery as well as of survival. As the Loyalist families become increasingly persecuted, the teen joins the refugees heading to Canada for safety. She struggles to do what is right and stay true to herself, in the face of mistrust from her cousin Anne and other refugees who hold her father's "betrayal" against her. Lunn provides an eye-opening glimpse into a different aspect of this period than many readers will have encountered. Engaging, suspenseful, well-written historical fiction with excellent characterizations and a well-paced plot.
Robin L. Gibson, Muskingum County Library System, Zanesville, OH
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