The Winds of Autumn (Seasons of the Heart #2)
ea. vol: CIP. Bethany House. 1987. pap. $5.95; large print pap. $7.95. Grade 7-10 In the first book, Belinda shows tender concern for any injured creature. At 14, she assists her brother, the town doctor, on amputation, birth ing, and burn cases. Wishing to be a boy so that she can become a doctor, she instead sets nursing as a goal. The story ends with a kiss from the boy whose arm was amputated and the promise of another book. Choosing a cousin's wallpaper, planning another cousin's surprise party, and persuading a destitute family to accept help are na ive or sentimental scenes that abound in a thicket of characters from earlier books. Faith is tried and proved in this Christian house on the prairie alterna tive to formula romances. Shura's Jes sica (Scholastic, 1984) includes teen emotions in a well-researched Kansas frontier setting without the jarring col loquial dialect. In The Winds of Au tumn, Josh, 15, spins his family's saga like a Huck Finn on the prairie. Camp ing trip mishaps fill a gap while the boys wait for a new teacher. The teacher's daughter mesmerizes the friends, and tutoring her introduces Josh to her fa ther's private library and the theory of evolution. When his aunt loses her first baby, Josh questions divine benevo lence. A heart-to-heart with Gramps about God's plan causes Josh to resolve his conflicts. Oke's Christian message overwhelms the events.Patricia G. Harrington, Phoenix Public LibraryCopyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.