Until Tomorrow, Mr. Marsworth
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, one young girl is determined to save her brother from the draft—and gets help from an unlikely source—in this middle-grade tale, perfect for fans of The Wednesday Wars
When eleven-year-old Reenie Kelly’s mother passes away, she and her brothers are shipped off to live with their grandmother. Adjusting to life in her parents’ Midwestern hometown isn’t easy, but once Reenie takes up a paper route with her older brother Dare, she has something she can look forward to. As they introduce themselves to every home on their route, Reenie’s stumped by just one—the house belonging to Mr. Marsworth, the town recluse. When he doesn’t answer his doorbell, Reenie begins to leave him letters. Slowly, the two become pen pals, striking up the most unlikely of friendships.
Through their letters, Reenie tells of her older brother Billy, who might enlist to fight in the Vietnam War. Reenie is desperate to stop him, and when Mr. Marsworth hears this, he knows he can’t stand idly by. As a staunch pacifist, Mr. Marsworth offers to help Reenie. Together, they concoct a plan to keep Billy home, though Reenie doesn’t know Mr. Marsworth’s dedication to her cause goes far beyond his antiwar beliefs.
In this heartwarming piece of historical fiction, critically acclaimed author Sheila O’Connor delivers a tale of devotion, sacrifice, and family.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this Vietnam-era epistolary novel, O'Connor (Sparrow Road) introduces a sweet and unexpected intergenerational friendship. When the feisty and persistent 11-year-old Reenie Kelly takes on a summer paper route that includes reclusive, elderly Mr. Marsworth, she begins to write him chatty, confessional letters. Her worries unfold believably: she's new to the Minnesota town of Lake Liberty, desperately wishes for a friend, is frustrated living with her strict Grams after her mother's death, and misses her absent father, who is working to pay off their medical debts. Foremost among her concerns is keeping her brother Billy out of the war by sending him to college, a seemingly impossible goal given their dire financial situation. The narrative also includes Reenie's letter exchanges with her Vietnam soldier pen pal, Billy's anti-war letter to the Minneapolis Tribune, and even Reenie's plea to President Johnson to end the draft. O'Connor drives home the cost of protest, illustrating the enduring hatred in the community toward Quaker Mr. Marsworth for his conscientious objection to WWI ("TRATOR" is painted on his cottage) and the animosity toward Reenie's family. The close-up on the remarkable relationship between Reenie and Mr. Marsworth shines here, as do the larger historical insights and the book's resonant themes of pacifism and patriotism. O'Connor creates nostalgia for an era of pen-and-ink communications. Ages 10 up.)