|
One Pledge Unspoken
Reviewed by Beverly
J. Rowe, MyShelf.Com This novel takes place in the 1960's, and confronts the issues of that time. The Viet Nam war was going on and many students engaged in protests against it. Bet and her friends discover that in their school, freedom of speech is a myth -- the school paper refuses to publish an anti-war letter a student submitted. Bet's group begins publishing a rogue newspaper to inform fellow students of the real issues, and their feelings about them. In school, they refuse to salute the flag because of the US involvement in the war. When they try to battle racism, sexism, anti-union propaganda, and the Viet Nam War itself, they learn that they must pay a price to be dissenters. The reader will rejoice in the victories of these students, and feel their pain and their anxiety as they deal with the expectations of their parents, the pressures of school, and sexual relationships before abortion was legal, and birth control was not even discussed. In an era when politics belonged to men who were expected to go to war willingly as a sacrifice for government policies, and then to be the sole support for their families, and women were expected to work in the factory or get married, their destinies seemed to be sealed: change was difficult to accomplish. Patricia Hilliard has been a writer and activist for 30 years, leading demonstrations for women's and gay rights and the struggle to clean up the toxins on our planet. She does a fine job of presenting the issues of the 60's in a fast-paced, well-plotted novel with a surprise ending. The characters are true-to-life and likable. I highly recommend this story which helps to clarify the difference between radical beliefs and what can realistically be accomplished by dedicated people. |
© MyShelf.Com. All Rights Reserved