Louisiana Hurricane, 1860

Duey, Kathleen. (2000). Louisiana hurricane 1860. New York: Pocket Books.

Reading level: Grades 7-10

Summary:
Madelaine LeBlanc is a sheltered, plantation owner's daughter. This particular year, Louisiana has been hit with a number of hurricanes. Slave labor isn't enough to keep the plantation running, so Mr. LeBlanc has to hire Cajuns as temporary workers. One of these Cajun's is Francoise Jarousseau, a handsome man who comes from mixed blood. Can Madelaine and Francoise overcome society's barriers, or will they be torn apart?

Comments:
One thing that was good about this book was its description of Louisiana. I've been fascinated with Louisiana ever since the Mayfair Witches books by Anne Rice, who often uses New Orleans as her setting. There's not much else of value in this book. It may be historically accurate, but the characters aren't authentic. Madelaine's instinct that slavery is wrong is innate; no one else talks about the issue with her. As discussed in the seminar presentation on historical novels, Madelaine's thoughts on slavery reflect today's society, not her own. Madelaine's character was also very passive. She didn't effectively speak up for herself or make her own decisions. The last line of the book is, "Madelaine leaned close to be kissed." She can't ever take the initiative to kiss the man she is supposedly madly in love with! There was lots of talk about the imminent civil war, yet the book ends before the war starts. This leaves too many questions about how the characters' lives are going to change.

Strangely, this book is part of a series of teen historical romances that focuses on disasters. Other books in the series include, Hindenburg, 1937, San Francisco Earthquake, 1906, and The Great Chicago Fire, 1871. I guess the concept is interesting, but perhaps a bit morbid. I prefer modern teen chick lit to this historical romance. Since there was hardly any flirtation, all the fun of an adult historical romance was missing. I would recommend this book to teens who aren't quite ready for adult romance, but who want to see what the genre's all about.

Rating: 2/5