Book Review - Cast Two Shadows

Cast Two Shadows: The American Revolution in the South

Ann Rinaldi

Gulliver Books (March 1, 2004)

In short: With minor caveats, this is a well researched, suspenseful and fast-paced novel. The characterizations are well rounded and are helped along by the well written dialect of the South.

Fourteen year old Caroline Whitaker lives on a South Carolina plantation in 1780 during the American Revolution. Her privileged world changes quickly when the troops of Lord Cornwallis invade. The novel starts with a brutal and senseless hanging of Caroline’s best friend by the British.

“It was along toward eleven in the morning, when they hanged Kit Gales.”

Soon Caroline finds her Patriot father thrown in prison, her Loyalist brother Johnny wounded, her sister fast becoming the love interest of a cruel British officer and herself and her mother imprisoned in their own house.

Caroline undertakes a journey to bring Johnny home which becomes a symbol for her coming of age as she learns the family secret hidden from her for many years. She struggles with her complex emotions of becoming a woman.

“One doesn’t just become a rebel, Caroline. Your father did after much soul-searching and prayer. He is a community leader. And a man. Men are the lawgivers because they have the better share of reason bestowed upon them by the Almighty.

Flapdoodle, I thought. But I didn’t say it. Does that go for Rawdon and Cornwallis, too?

“But we women have the advantage, because we have it in our power to subdue the men without violence. We have more power in our tears than in our arguments. Remember that.”

She also struggles with her beliefs of God.

“God is good,” she said. “He’ll be back. He said he would.” I mulled the matter for a moment. Before Cornwallis came, I would have believed it in my heart, too. But there was something in my heart that stood in the way of believing anything much anymore. Kit’s body still hung there inside me, twisting in the wind.”

“We cain’t go on an’ leave a body in pain,” she insisted. “’Tain’t right. ‘Tain’t Godly.” “What has God got to do with anything, Miz Melindy?” I snapped. “God isn’t here anymore. He knew enough to get out of South Carolina two months ago.”

As is typical of many “coming-of-age” novels, the heroes lose their religion when they mature. Although it may be common in books, this is not a commonplace occurrence and is something that should be discussed by discerning parents.

“Following your heart” is another common theme in novels for the teen, or tween, set.

“I don’t know, Mama. It’s just a feeling I have in me. Johnny told me that when I had to make a decision I should do what was in my heart and in my innards. And it’s in my heart and my innards right now not to go to Uncle Henry’s. Rawdon may take a notion to look for us there.”

If, as Christians, this is how we make our decisions then sin is right around the corner. As a Christian we should remember that our heart is deceitfully wicked (Jeremiah 17:9) and we need to take care in obedience to our heart, or anything, but God and His Word.

Despite the caveats about belief in God noted earlier, this is a well researched, suspenseful and fast-paced novel. The characterizations are well rounded and are helped along by the well written dialect of the South.

Rating: Borrow