A Light in the Storm

A Light in the Storm
Book no.	15
Series	Dear America
Author	Karen Hesse
Publisher	Scholastic
Published	September 1, 1999
Pages	169
ISBN	9780439445573
Preceded by
Publication	The Girl Who Chased Away Sorrow
Followed by
Publication	Color Me Dark

A Light in the Storm: The Civil War Diary of Amelia Martin is the fifteenth book in the Dear America series by Scholastic. It was written by Karen Hesse and first published in September 1997. The book was republished in March 2011 with new cover art.

Dedication

"This book is dedicated to all Lightkeepers—past, present, and future—who kindle their lamps of hope against the darkness."

Book description

• Original
• Relaunch

"Thursday, February 28, 1861
P. Cloudy. Wind N.W. Fresh.
Mr. Lincoln has arrived at last in Washington....In one week, he inherits the trouble of this great, unhappy country. In one week, the responsibility will be his—whether we come together again as a Union, or fall entirely to pieces. And here we sit, in Delaware, on the border between North and South, half the state holding slaves, half the state opposed to the practice....It is hard enough to hold a family together. Poor Mr. Lincoln. It is in his hands to hold a whole country....My hands are calloused and strong from rowing and working the ropes, from lifting and carrying barrels of oil and scrubbing stone floors and spiral stairs, but I do not know if they are strong enough to hold Mother and Father together. Mr. Lincoln's hands...they must be a thousand times stronger than mine. Please God, give Mr. Lincoln strong hands."

"My name is Amelia. This is my story....
Amelia Martin's father was stripped of his post as a ship's captain when he was caught harboring the leader of a slave rebellion. Now he is an assistant lighthouse keeper on Fenwick Island, off the coast of Delaware—a state wedged between the North and the South, just as Amelia is wedged between her parents. Amelia's mother blames her abolitionist husband for their living conditions, which she claims are taking a toll on her health. As the Civil War rages on, Amelia slowly learns that she cannot stop the fighting, but by keeping watch in the lighthouse each day, lighting the lamps, cleaning the glass, and rescuing victims of Atlantic storms, she can make a difference."

Plot

Template:Cleaned up Amelia Martin is living on Fenwick Island off of Bayville, Delaware in 1861. Her parents have begun to fight more and more frequently about meaningless little things and starts to worry Amelia that they may split apart. Not long after Christmas, Amelia's best friend William Worthington falls through some ice on a local pond and drowns. After this event, Amelia grows closer to William's older brother Daniel.

Throughout this rumors of war are swirling around in the deeply divided town of Bayville. Amelia talks through this with her Uncle Edward who helps her see another perspective of slavery and changes Amelia to realize how bad slavery really is. Uncle Edward is an abolitionist, one of the only in town. Amelia's father, Edward's brother, also is against slavery while Amelia's mother is for it, along with Amelia's grandmother.

Not long after this Southern states start to secede from the Union and war becomes reality. Some of the local men go off to fight for the Union. Among them is Keeper Dunne (head of the Fenwick Island Lighthouse), the local school teacher Mr. Warner, and Daniel Worthington.

Amelia goes about her lighthouse duties and when the new Light head keeper arrives she is promoted to being an assistant keeper along with her father. The new Light keeper is Robert Hale and he arrives with his wife and five young children. The five young children brighten up the gloomy household.

Amelia's mother, Mildred dislikes the new family and her relationship with Amelia's father worsens. She is sickened and goes to live with her mother on the mainland. Not long after Mildred and John are divorced. Despite all of this, Amelia continues to tend to the lighthouse and starts to befriend the strange neighbor Oda Lee. She also keeps up correspondence with Daniel while he is at war,

Characters

Main article: List of A Light in the Storm characters

• Amelia Martin

Author

Main article: Karen Hesse

Editions

A Light in the Storm
Dear America reprint
(March 1, 2011)

Acknowledgements

"This book could not have been written without the assistance of Gladys Kennery, Wayne Wheeler of the U.S. Lighthouse Society, Paul Pepper, Tracy Mack, Jean Feiwel, Bernice Millman, Zoe Moffitt, Martha Hodes, Liza Ketchum, Bob and Tink MacLean, Eileen Christelow, Kate, Rachel, and Randy Hesse, Ken Black, The Library of Congress, Tim Harrison, Lorinda White, and Richard Shuldiner of the Brooks Memorial Library."

External links

• Interview with Karen Hesse about A Light in the Storm at Scholastic
• A Light in the Storm Discussion Guide at Scholastic