There are many reasons why Jacob Have I
Loved by Katherine
Paterson has won SO many literary awards, including Newbery
Medal (1981), Outstanding Children’s Books of 1980 (NY Times),
American Library Association – Best Books for Young Adults (1980),
Best Books of 1980 (School Library Journal), and Fanfare Honor
List (The Horn Book). The characters are well developed. The storyline
is interesting. Many people can well identify with the main character’s
feelings of sibling rivalry. The best reason, however, is that
it is a thoroughly engrossing and enjoyable novel!

Thirteen-year old Sara Louise “Wheeze” Bradshaw is green
with envy. Her twin sister, Caroline, is everyone’s “darling”
and everything that she is not. She is popular, beautiful, talented,
and saintly. She is beloved by her teachers, fellow students,
town people, but most of all, by her parents. What is a bright,
comely, hard-working, tomboy to do?

“Location is everything” and the setting of this novel
is an important and prophetic aspect. Set on Rass Island, a small
inbred and religious fishing community in the Chesapeake Bay during
the 1940s, the insular tragedies and the impact of global events
reflect the interior turmoil and exterior trials that the main
character must experience in order to grow and mature. A product
of the Depression, Wheeze well knows hard times and hard work,
but this does not prepare her for the “World War” size
conflicts of adolescent sibling rivalry.

Two minor characters deserve special mention. A mysterious
elderly man appears at the beginning of the novel. The mystery
of his identity seduces the reader into this novel, but it is
his impact on Wheeze that reveals and illuminates her jealous
and possessive nature. Wheeze’s grandmother acts as humorous fool
and Biblical prophet of doom. An astute reader will soon pick
up on the fact that her words and quotes are a form of fore shadowing.
Unfortunately, I fear with the current level of Biblical illiteracy
in the US, much of what author Paterson (a seminary trained missionary
born to missionary parents) draws upon as the common-knowledge
base of her readership will be lost on many of her young readers.
(If you dear reader, like I, missed that fact that the title is
a Biblical quote and not a hint about lost puppy love, I recommend
keeping a Bible near at hand.) This is not to say that a young
person cannot read this novel, enjoy it, and learn from it without
a Bible or at least a minimal grounding in the Bible, but without
it the novel’s depth will be shallower. Not only will many plot
nuances be overlooked, but the significant psychological and social
impact of the Bible on the islander’s views and behavior may not
be fully grasped.

I highly recommend this book. After reading this book, I knew
why it had earned so many awards. It is eminently readable and
quite enjoyable for young people and older adults. It is excellent
bibliotherapy for those working through the anger and jealousy
of sibling rivalry, even if historic in nature. This book is useful
in a history class as a period piece for adolescent life during
the 1940s or in a Sunday school classroom for teaching young people
Christian ethics. I, however, preferred this book in a hammock
under a shady tree for deep sighs over golden yesteryears.





Suzanne Garrison-Terry


Education: B.A. in History from Sacred Heart University, M.L.S.
in Library Science from Southern Connecticut State College, M.R.S.
in Religious Studies/Pastoral Counseling from Fairfield University,
and a M.Div. in Professional Ministry from New Brunswick Theological
Seminary. She is currently completing a Certificate in Spirituality/Spiritual
Direction from Sacred Heart University (July 2001). She is a Licensed
Minister of the United Church of Christ and an Assistant Professor
in Library Science at Dowling College, Long Island, NY

Interests in Mental Health: I am interested in the interplay between
psychology and spirituality. My current research focuses on the
role of hormonal fluctuation during puberty, pregnancy, and peri-menopause
as a stimuli for mystical experiences. Through the study of autobiographical
accounts of the mystical experiences of “historically accepted”
female Christian mystics and additional biographical information,
I am analyzing the connection between the onset of mystical experiences
and biological data/symptomology for the potential existence of
hormonal fluctuation or irregularity. If this sounds like an unusual
topic, nota bene how many medieval female mystics began
having “vision” on or about the age of 40!

This review first appeared online Sept 1, 2001

Categories: Fiction