Witness

Title: Witness
Author: Karen Hesse
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication City: New York, New York
Copyright: 2001
ISBN: 0-439-27199-1 (hc)

Summary

Witness, a story told in free verse poetry, takes place in a small Vermont town in 1924. Things are at an upheaval in the town. The Ku Klux Klan has come to town and it could mean disaster for 6-year-old Esther Hirsh and 12-year-old African-American Leanora Sutter. Little Esther and her doting father had recently moved to the town to live with Sara Chickering, an older woman who has never married. Esther had spent time the summer before with Chickering as a Fresh Air kid. Esther brightened the world around Chickering, but to the other townspeople she was still the little Jewish girl. Esther is a naive little girl who does not make the connection between her dead dog and the KKK.

Leanora Sutter was a talented dancer who had lost her mother the year before when her Daddy's wagon had gotten stuck in the mud and the locals refused to help. Her mothers gave Leanora her sweater, and the mom caught a bad cold she never recovered from. Leanora is world wise and know what the KKK is and is scared of them.

Johnny Reeves, a reverend, believes in the "purity" of America and protestants. He is a staunch supporter of the KKK. Merlin Van Tornhout is a racist who has an overly fond view of himself. The Pettibone's own a general store and are split on their views of the KKK. Other characters join together to try to keep the KK from their town. With unlikely help from the Vermont legislature the town gets out from under the thumb of the KKK, but not before a suicide, a shooting, and a failed attempt at poisoning a well.

Review

Witness is a hard look at a pre-depression small town in Vermont as it accepts the KKK into town and then realizes the true meaning behind the facade of the KKK. The novel is written in free verse poems by the main characters, and the seriousness of the KKK.

The words of 6-year-old Esther Hirsh are those of an innocent child who talks of "have comings" instead of visits and "having sleeps" instead of sleeping. All of the other characters, who are world weary, talk in near perfect English for the period, even 12-year-old African-American Leanora Sutter.

Witness tackles other tough topics than pure racism. The Reverend Johnny Reeves is alluded to be a pedophile, who is taken care of by the Klan despite his initial involvement. The young audience will not fully realize the reason Johnny Reeves is punished by the Klan. The inclusion is a necessary part by showing the pure hypocrisy of what the KKK was and still is. Johnny Reeves truly believed that he was better than the Jews and the "Negros" but his little "problem" exposed him as a hypocrite.

Merlin Van Tornhout deals with self-arrogance that cripples him in decision-making until the KKK reveals it's true self. When he realizes the errand the Klan sent him on was not just, he had to flee. Perhaps a student reading the novel will realize how not doing anything to prevent injustice is just as bad as taking part.

While Witness does focus on the KKK vs. the "negro"", th book does a wonderful job of highlighting the hatred of Jews at the time. One has a tendency to believe that the Jews were only persecuted in Europe, when things as brutal as murders happened in America also.

Professional Reviews
Amazon.com
It is 1924, and a small Vermont town finds itself under siege--by the Ku Klux Klan. Using free verse, Newbery Medal-winning author Karen Hesse (Out of the Dust) allows 11 unique and memorable voices to relate the story of the Klan's steady infiltration into the conscience of a small, Prohibition-era community. The Klan's "all-American" philosophy is at first embraced by several of the town's influential men, including Constable Parcelle Johnson and retailer Harvey Pettibone. But Harvey's sensible wife, Viola, and independent restaurant owner Iris Weaver suspect from the beginning that the Klan's arrival heralds trouble. As the only African Americans in town, 12-year old Leonora Sutter and her father try to escape Klan scrutiny, while 6-year-old, city-born Esther Hirsch remains blissfully unaware of the Klan's prejudice against Jews as she enjoys the Vermont countryside. And Sara Chickering, the lady farmer who has opened her home to Esther and her father, is torn between her own hidden biases and her growing love for Esther.
All, however, are galvanized towards action when a shadowy figure shoots at Esther and her father right through Sara's front door. Who would commit such an evil act? And is it too late to remove the poison that has insidiously leaked into their once tight-knit community? Part mystery, part social commentary, Hesse's historically accurate chronicle is a riveting catalyst for discussion that thoughtfully explores race and identity from every possible point of view. The free verse format and distinct characterizations also make Witness a perfect choice for library or classroom reader's theater productions. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer Hubert --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly
The author of Out of the Dust again turns language into music in her second quietly moving novel written entirely in verse. Here, 11 narrative voices chronicle actual events occurring in a sleepy Vermont town after the arrival of the Ku Klux Klan in 1924. Those victimized by the Klan include the families of Leanora Sutter, a 12-year-old African-American girl, and Esther Hirsh, the six-year-old daughter of a Jewish shoe salesman. Rounding out the portrait of the town are community leaders (an enlightened physician, a newspaper editor who moves from neutral to anti-Klan) as well as less prominent folk shopkeepers, a Protestant minister who are swayed into joining the white supremacist group. Their chorus of hatred rings loudly at first, but is tempered by their dawning realization of the severity of the Klan's punishment to their targets as well as the more rational, compassionate strains of the Klan's opponents. Hesse offers glimpses of the world at large through references to Prohibition, the Leopold and Loeb case and a letter Leanora pens to Helen Keller. The author distinguishes the characters (whose pictures appear in the front of the book) not only by their varying opinions but also by their tone of speech. The simpler, candid language of the two youngest cast members, Leanora and Esther, effectively crystallizes their gradual loss of innocence. Easily read in one sitting, this lyrical novel powerfully records waves of change and offers insightful glimpses into the hearts of victims, their friends and their enemies. Ages 9-12.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Connections

Together with a history teacher, research the KKK during the pre-Great Depression years and during. Write poems about the experiences of the victims of KKK violence.
Research what a Fresh Air Fund is. Is it still around? Write stories/poems about the growing concerns about our environment.
Have students write essays or poetry of their thoughts after reading the book. They can illustrate first if it helps them.