GIRL ON THE BLUFF
I became Susan Ann while writing Girl on the Bluff,
and in a sense, she became me.
B.J. Stone
Interesting reading for readers third grade through
adult. An exciting account of a young girl growing up
in a frontier army fort in an era of danger, fear,
tragedy, small pleasures, unknown sicknesses, comedy -
and great loneliness. A fictional - but based on fact
- account of a fort that becomes a town, with the
central character being a real-life young woman, Susan
Ann Farmer, the first white girl to live in Fort
Worth, Texas.
Bill Fairley, a Columnist for the Fort Worth
Star-Telegram
An engaging, lively slice of history. Well grounded in
fact, the story proceeds briskly, with lots of
dialogue and fascinating details to hold the reader's
interest. Here I found confirmation of something I'd
read recently in a book on pioneer crafts - that
leather tanned the Indian way, using animal brains,
was softer and more supple than today's commercially
tanned leathers. The tidbit about making one's own ink
from gall balls on oak trees is another of the many
authentic touches that add color and interest to this
highly readable tale. History buffs of any age will
find much to enjoy in this meaty account of Susan Ann
Farmer's girlhood on the Texas frontier.
From a reader in Guadalajara, Mexico
Excellent book to get students interested in area history.
Whether the book is read by students or to students,
they will make an
immediate connection to Susan Ann. The names of other
characters in the book are historically accurate and
can be researched by students. The language is
colorful and simple enough for early elementary
students. It is about time there was a book with a
girl as the focus. Those interested in Fort Worth
history will enjoy the book. Susan Ann's parents are
buried in Forest Hill Cemetery in Fort Worth. Direct
connection to the story and the history of an area. I
used the book in my masters' project for The Sid
Richardson Collection of Western Art in Fort Worth.
a Fort Worth reader
Click here to read part of Girl on the Bluff.
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OLA'S WAKE
Inspired by girlhood vacations in the Ozarks and by
her own mother, Stone (Girl on the Bluff) has created
a quiet novel about ten-year-old Josie and her single
mother Ginny, who travel from their home in Texas to
Missouri to attend the funeral of Josie's
great-grandmother, Ola. Josie doesn't know what to
expect of a funeral, particularly that of a relative
whom she never knew. But as she listens to stories
about Ola and her exploits recounted by the woman's
devoted friends, relatives and neighbors, Ola's wake
proves to be an awakening for Josie. She learns so
much about her ancestor that she begins to feel as if
she knew her for years, and she comes to appreciate
the heritage of which she had previously been unaware.
Best of all, Josie learns that, much to her mother's
delight, she resembles spunky, colorful, and
life-loving Ola in many ways. In the process Josie
grows close to her mother and also makes a new friend,
Sara, a girl her own age, who was a devoted friend to
Ola. In a dream scene, Josie accompanies her
great-grandmother on a berry-and mushroom-picking
expedition and the two even attend the funeral
together. It will be an awakening for young readers to
discover that death need not be regarded only as a
somber affair. The novel will help readers recognize
that it is not disrespectful to feel joyous even at a
mournful time, for a life well lived is a life worth
of celebration. Comforting for children who have
experienced the pasing of a loved one. (Fiction 9-12)
Kirkus Reviews (June 2000)
Click here to read part of Ola's Wake.
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WHERE THE STICKER PATCHES GROW
Description to come soon.
Not yet published.
Click here to read part of Where the Sticker Patches Grow.
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