Mare’s War
If an educator were to pick up a copy of Mare’s War with the intent of teaching this novel to students then I think he or she might be surprised with what they find. The book chronicles a vacation of a grandmother and grandchildren, and also tells the broader tale of the first U.S. Women’s Army Corps to serve during World War II. The surprising thing about this novel is that it works well as both a history lesson, and a tale of growth for the characters in the story. The way these characters develop is a way for teachers to show students a model of personal growth while making the reading fun for the students.
This novel fits the classification of historical fiction more than any other category you could put it in. The best part about it is that it fits an unfamiliar tale into a familiar story. Everyone is familiar with the story behind World War II (WWII), but how many know the story of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) during this time period. Most people can cite the impact women had on the work force in the U.S., but very few know about the WAC. This is even a surprise to a character in the novel when she writes to a friend, “So my grandmother ran away to join the Army when they first let African American women join back in WWII. It totally explains a bunch of things about her” (Davis 65), the fact this hasn’t even come up in the family before shows just how discreet this knowledge is. This piece of history is even a surprise to me, a twelve year veteran, so you know it must be new to so many other people. That is how this book can be a nice tool to compliment a lesson in both the English and History departments.
The other way this book works really well is as a testament to personal growth in the face of adversity. Each of the two story lines of past and present has a unique adversity to overcome, and the author shows how people can mature and overcome anything if they have to. One of the best instances is in the pat when the characters encounter the gas chamber for the first time. Having been through this, I know it is not a fun experience, and true to form the characters want to quit in the novel. One of them is even heard yelling “I can’t! I can’t do it! I’m not going back in there.” (Davis 100). However, each and every one of them does the drill again and again until they are no longer afraid and one character even remarks “Didn’t nobody ever tell me I was this tough.” (Davis 102). This lesson alone is one that educators could use to teach students that they are tough, and no matter what it is never as bad as it seems. In the future, the girls have to learn that they actually love their grandma which is an idea that doesn’t go over well the narrator even states “I’m not the only one who hates this idea. You should have heard my sister.” (Davis 3), this is how the narrator sets the tone for the entire beginning portion of the novel. Of course this attitude eventually changes and the girls come to enjoy the time they have spent with their grandmother by the end of the story. The end is even capped by a touching scene where “We bump heads and do a group hug, the sort that other people and their grandmothers probably do all the time.” (Davis 340). This type of family growth could be important to young adults who traditionally at this time in their lives don’t look at their parents as friends.
This story is a bit of a longer novel, but with the rich historical details, and the wit the author displays it should have no problem holding the interest of teens, and giving educators plenty of source material to work with. The only negative to this story is actually a positive, and that is the lack of continuation. After finishing the novel I can’t help but wonder how the grandmother dealt with other things like the Civil Rights movement or the Vietnam conflict. With any luck this will inspire further stories form Tanita S. Davis that educators will be able to use to teach African American history through their eyes.
Works Cited
Davis, Tanita S. Mare’s War. New York: Knopf, 2009. Print.
