{"id":27380,"date":"2015-05-01T22:58:22","date_gmt":"2015-05-02T02:58:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=27380"},"modified":"2015-05-01T22:58:22","modified_gmt":"2015-05-02T02:58:22","slug":"review-of-black-dove-white-raven-by-elizabeth-wein","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=27380","title":{"rendered":"Review of Black Dove, White Raven, by Elizabeth Wein"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"black_dove_white_raven_large\"<\/a>Black Dove, White Raven<\/em><\/p>\n

by Elizabeth Wein<\/p>\n

Hyperion, Los Angeles, 2015. 357 pages.
\nStarred Review<\/p>\n

Wow. Once again Elizabeth Wein illuminates a historical situation I knew nothing about. In some ways, this combines themes from her two different series. We\u2019re back in Aksum of Ethiopia \u2013 but this is not ancient Aksum. Instead, Aksum is combined with female pilots of World War II \u2013 okay, just before World War II, when Italy invaded Ethiopia. (Did you know about that? I sure didn\u2019t.)<\/p>\n

At the start of the book, Black Dove and White Raven are the airshow names for the mothers of Emilia Menotti and Teodros Dupr\u00e9. Black Dove is Teo\u2019s mother, Delia Dupr\u00e9; and White Raven is Em\u2019s Momma, Rhoda Menotti. They travel around doing airshows together in 1930s America, doing aerobatics and wing-walking. They met in France after World War I. They dream of moving to Ethiopia, where Teo\u2019s father was from, where people won\u2019t be shocked by a black woman and a white woman living and working together.<\/p>\n

But then there\u2019s an accident, and Delia is killed. However, the family still makes it to Ethiopia, and Teo and Em work on becoming the new Black Dove and White Raven.<\/p>\n

Teo and Em grow up in Ethiopia, and Momma teaches them to fly \u2013 just in time to come of age when Italy invades Ethiopia in 1936.<\/p>\n

This book is filled with historical details I knew nothing about, but mostly it\u2019s the compelling story of two children with strong family ties, living in another culture, learning to find their place in the world and deal with all manner of people \u2013 and coming of age in wartime — wartime that involved mustard gas against spearmen, and the need to protect ancient treasures, including the Ark of the Covenant.<\/p>\n

As always, Elizabeth Wein\u2019s writing is powerful and evocative. I’ll admit that this is slower, atmospheric reading most of the way through, but these are distinctive characters you will remember long afterward.<\/p>\n

elizabethwein.com<\/a>
\nhyperionteens.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Teens\/black_dove_white_raven.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

Tweet<\/a>