A Light in the Storm: The Civil War Diary of Amelia Martin is the fifteenth book in the Dear America series by Scholastic. It was written by Karen Hesse and first published in September 1997. The book was republished in March 2011 with new cover art.
Dedication
- "This book is dedicated to all Lightkeepers—past, present, and future—who kindle their lamps of hope against the darkness."
Book description
- "Thursday, February 28, 1861
P. Cloudy. Wind N.W. Fresh.
Mr. Lincoln has arrived at last in Washington....In one week, he inherits the trouble of this great, unhappy country. In one week, the responsibility will be his—whether we come together again as a Union, or fall entirely to pieces. And here we sit, in Delaware, on the border between North and South, half the state holding slaves, half the state opposed to the practice....It is hard enough to hold a family together. Poor Mr. Lincoln. It is in his hands to hold a whole country....My hands are calloused and strong from rowing and working the ropes, from lifting and carrying barrels of oil and scrubbing stone floors and spiral stairs, but I do not know if they are strong enough to hold Mother and Father together. Mr. Lincoln's hands...they must be a thousand times stronger than mine. Please God, give Mr. Lincoln strong hands."
Amelia Martin's father was stripped of his post as a ship's captain when he was caught harboring the leader of a slave rebellion. Now he is an assistant lighthouse keeper on Fenwick Island, off the coast of Delaware—a state wedged between the North and the South, just as Amelia is wedged between her parents. Amelia's mother blames her abolitionist husband for their living conditions, which she claims are taking a toll on her health. As the Civil War rages on, Amelia slowly learns that she cannot stop the fighting, but by keeping watch in the lighthouse each day, lighting the lamps, cleaning the glass, and rescuing victims of Atlantic storms, she can make a difference."
Plot
Characters
- Main article: List of A Light in the Storm characters
Author
- Main article: Karen Hesse
Editions
Acknowledgements
- "This book could not have been written without the assistance of Gladys Kennery, Wayne Wheeler of the U.S. Lighthouse Society, Paul Pepper, Tracy Mack, Jean Feiwel, Bernice Millman, Zoe Moffitt, Martha Hodes, Liza Ketchum, Bob and Tink MacLean, Eileen Christelow, Kate, Rachel, and Randy Hesse, Ken Black, The Library of Congress, Tim Harrison, Lorinda White, and Richard Shuldiner of the Brooks Memorial Library."
References
See also