Moon Over Manifest

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Abilene Tucker, the twelve-year old daughter of Gideon Tucker, is sent to Manifest, Kansas by her father while he goes on a job for the railroad. The only thing Abilene knows about Manifest when she jumps off the train is that her daddy lived there for a time. It has been arranged for her to stay with Shady, the Pastor, who has been "filling in" as pastor for the last 14 years. Abilene brings life back into the town as she searches through a box of mementos and is able, through the help of the town "diviner," Ms. Sadie, to find links to the past. The story moves rather seamlessly from 1918 to 1936, as Ms. Sadie unravels the past of the town of Manifest in stories to Abilene. Abilene is determined to find out how her father fits into that past.
Vanderpool has done an excellent job of creating an historical picture of a small town in the Midwest, and the characters who inhabit that town. Although I thoroughly enjoyed reading the story, I am having some student readers read the book to see if the appeal for my middle school readers is there.



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