Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
DHS Library Location: Fiction (FIC CRO)
*Gateway 2016-17 Preliminary Nominee
Description:
It’s 1968, and war is not foreign to seventeen-year-old Ashe. His dogmatic, racist father married his passionate peace-activist mother when she became pregnant with him, and ever since, the couple, like the situation in Vietnam, has been engaged in a “senseless war that could have been prevented.” When his high school history teacher dares to teach the political realities of the war, Ashe grows to better understand the situation in Vietnam, his family, and the wider world around him. But when a new crisis hits his parents’ marriage, Ashe finds himself trapped, with no options before him but to enter the fray.
Written in haiku, Death Coming Up the Hill examines the personal story of a 17-year-old in the midst of the chaos of 1968. Ashe's personal story allows for exploration of the issues of the time as they affected normal teenagers. This book is a quick read with a lot of depth. Highly recommended for those with an interest in history, particularly the Viet Nam war and the 1960s, as well as teachers looking for something fresh to incorporate into a modern US history course. I was particularly impressed by the attention to detail that is included in such a seemingly simple book. Looks can be deceiving--this book offers a lot of insight and possibilities for closer study.
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