book cover of Washington Avalanche, 1910
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Washington Avalanche, 1910

(2000)
(The fourth book in the Historical Disasters series)
A novel by

 
 
VOYA
Drawing upon one of the worst natural disasters to occur in eastern Washington state, Dokey creates a suspenseful adventure tale that incorporates switched identities, physical danger, and the sustaining power of love in a young woman's quest for freedom and happiness. In the winter of 1910, Ginny Nolan, on the run from her scheming stepbrother, assumes the identity of a person whom she meets on the train, quiet Virginia Hightower, a young lady of reduced circumstances traveling to meet her betrothed, a man she has never seen. What at first seems like a harmless deception, tailor-made to serve the needs of both young women, soon becomes a much higher stakes game. As their train is trapped in the relentlessly falling snow high in the mountains, tempers fray and fear turns to panic. Will the train tracks mark the site of a graveyard or provide a gateway to the future? As in her earlier work, Hindenburg, 1937 (Pocket Books, 1999/VOYA October 1999), Dokey uses historical events to provide a fascinating backdrop, maintaining a feeling of tension and suspense from first chapter to last. Readers will sympathize with the plight of both Virginia and Ginny, each running away from her own demons and toward an uncertain future. The dialogue and emotions are realistic, and the author captures the volatile relationship between the two young women as well as their personal feelings about Nicholas Bennett, Virginia's fiancé, whom Ginny falls in love with. Having just the right touch of suspense, the fascination of mistaken identities, the lure of a budding romance, and the interaction of strong-willed characters, this title will be easy to booktalk! VOYA CODES: 3Q 3P J S (Readable withoutserious defects; Will appeal with pushing; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2000, Pocket Books, Ages 13 to 18, 247p, $4.99 pb. Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo

KLIATT
After eighteen-year-old Virginia (Ginny) Nolan overhears a plot by her cruel stepbrother, Stephen, to marry her off and steal her inheritance, she decides to take matters into her own hands. One snowy night Ginny packs her bags, tiptoes down the stairs and runs away. She finds her way to the train station and once on the train she meets a girl who looks almost like her-and as fate would have it this girl is also named Virginia. Both girls soon are trading their stories of woe and Ginny finds out that Virginia is en route to Seattle to marry a man she's never even met. Soon Ginny suggests that they switch identities--to confuse her stepbrother and to check out Virginia's fiancé Nicholas Bennett. Both girls believe this is the perfect solution until the next morning at breakfast when Nicholas appears and Ginny falls hopelessly in love. There is a lot of tension as the snow keeps falling and the train becomes snowbound. Finally there is a roar in the night as an avalanche buries the train and Ginny is sure she is going to die. With a little book-talking at your school or public library, this well-written, fast-paced, teen historical romance will not be on your shelves very long. KLIATT Codes: JS-Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2000, Pocket/Archway, 246p, 18cm, $4.99. Ages 13 to 18. Reviewer: Jamie Lyn Weaver; YA Libn., Geneva P.L., Geneva, IL, July 2000 (Vol. 34 No. 4)

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

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