Cast Two Shadows: The American Revolution in the South

by Ann Rinaldi

In South Carolina in 1780, fourteen-year-old Caroline sees the Revolutionary War take a terrible toll on her family and friends, and comes to understand the true nature of war.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, American Revolution, Historical, Fiction, American Revolutionary War, Young Adult Historical Fiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1998

About the author

Ann Rinaldi (b. August 27, 1934, in New York City) is a young adult fiction author. She is best known for her historical fiction, including In My Father's House, The Last Silk Dress, An Acquaintance with Darkness, A Break with Charity, and Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons. She has written a total of forty novels, eight of which were listed as notable by the ALA. In 2000, Wolf by the Ears was listed as one the best novels of the preceding twenty-five years, and later of the last one hundred years. She is the most prolific writer for the Great Episode series, a series of historical fiction novels set during the American Colonial era. She also writes for the Dear America series.

Rinaldi currently lives in Somerville, New Jersey, with her husband, Ron, whom she married in 1960. Her career, prior to being an author, was a newspaper columnist. She continued the column, called The Trentonian, through much of her writing career. Her first published novel, Term Paper, was written in 1979. Prior to this, she wrote four unpublished books, which she has called "terrible." She became a grandmother in 1991.

Rinaldi says she got her love of history from her eldest son, who brought her to reenactments. She says that she writes young adult books "because I like to write them."

Reviews

[Katie Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sometimes I thought we were just a bundle of worms, all tied up in a burlap conjure sack and tied with strands of horsehair, bound to hurt anyone who didn't stay clear of us. And hidden under the back porch. Which was probably where we belonged."

AND YOU THOUGHT YOUR FAMILY WAS SCREWED UP. :-P

This is an excellent historical novel, one which showcases all of Ann Rinaldi's strengths: war, complex local politics, twisted family dynamics, a young, stubborn, but curious heroine, and minimal romance. [none at all for our MC, in fact]

Caroline Whitaker is fourteen years old, growing up in South Carolina during the turbulent, bloody years of the American Revolution. Her home has been commandeered by British officers, her Patriot father is in jail, and her best friend was brutally murdered a few months ago. But the war, in a way, is the least of Caroline's troubles: She is white-passing. She never knew her real mother, and she's been brought up in the plantation's "big house" while her slave grandmother lives in a log cabin on the very same plantation, forbidden to even speak to her.

But when her Loyalist brother is wounded, no one but Caroline herself and her grandmother have the guts to brave the ravaged countryside and fetch him home. Their journey becomes the centerpiece of the novel. It's a quest story, in fact, now that I think about it--a quest which forces Caroline to confront the truth about her identity, her family, and her past.

I liked Caroline a lot. She's not my favorite of Rinaldi's heroines (that honor goes to Oscie Mason of In My Father's House), but she's pretty well up there. I liked her quietness, her tendency to mull problems & plans over in silence for a long time before being willing to share them. I liked her strong opinions, but I also appreciated her readiness to change her mind when confronted with new evidence. She's quite assertive, but in a fairly self-contained way that I found relatable. She doesn't waste energy being loud or bold if she's not going to gain something by it. She's strategic. That's always a trait I love, whether in male or female characters.

Her grandmother, Miz Melindy, was such a wonderful character, too. And because this book centers around her and Caroline's relationship, we got to see A LOT of her, which was awesome. Miz Melindy is just as secretive and strategic as her granddaughter (even more so, in fact) and I enjoyed seeing that common trait shine through, despite the two being estranged most of Caroline's life. Miz Melindy was a powerful example of one of the central truths about racial oppression, that "survival is resistance": she didn't outwardly speak against the system; but the very fact that she lived so long in a society bent on crushing the lifeblood out of people of color is a testimony against the entire thing.

I want to talk about Rinaldi's representation of slavery for a minute, because it's a unique and interesting perspective that I'm not sure I'D choose, as an author; but I like what she does with it. In a nutshell: this is not a radical lens. Because Caroline herself, our POV character, is not a radical. Caroline never comes to view slavery, per se, as wrong--she only comes to view certain specific actions committed by certain family members as wrong. Furthermore, she still holds semi-racist beliefs by the end of the novel. This is sad, but it's also realistic: She's only a child, fourteen years old, staring these enormous, sickening crimes in the face, and half of her family are the perpetrators of said crimes while half are the victims . . . it's just TOO BIG and too close for her to see it clearly. This is not an environment or upbringing to produce sweeping denunciations. Even small denunciations, in such a case, count as a victory. And small denunciations, small victories, are what we get in Cast Two Shadows.

Because of all that, I wouldn't give this novel to anybody [say, a younger reader] who didn't already have a clear grasp of the horrors of slavery. The point of Rinaldi's story is not to explicate those horrors through an objective lens; but rather, to chronicle one biracial, white-passing child's incipient & subjective understanding that something might be wrong here. Which is in itself powerful. It's just not as good a teaching tool as some other historical novels I've read.

Moving on to the Revolutionary War aspects: I was fascinated by the Deep South setting, since I've never really read much fiction about the Revolution down here. [I live in Tennessee so South Carolina is pretty close to home.] I vaguely knew the Southern war was way more brutal, but man, Rinaldi sure makes you feel it. Hangings and massacres and robbing and pillaging and all the rest of it. In fact, we witness a nasty hanging in the very first chapter, and it's not exactly graphic but it is quite a shock. I would caution more sensitive readers, this may not be the Revolution story for you.

And the British officer who'd taken over Caroline's home, essentially holding her and her family hostage, was A REAL PIECE OF WORK, FOLKS. I hated him. *shudders* To make matters worse, he's carrying on a sexual liaison with Caroline's seventeen-year-old sister, who's infatuated with him and professes to *worship* his brutal and controlling actions; and yes, yes, yes, I know 17 was technically old enough to get married in colonial times, but the officer's at least 40 and all I could think of the whole entire time was STATUTORY RAPE MY GOOD DUDE. Sorry. Not trying to be flippant here. It's just . . . yeah, it's disgusting. Historically accurate. But disgusting.

Nothing is "shown," but still, Rinaldi paints quite a stark portrait of the sexual exploitation going on here. So, again, sensitive readers, I am really not sure this is your cup of tea??? And while we're on the subject of sexual exploitation, in case it wasn't clear enough from the above discussion of Caroline's background, this entire novel revolves around slaves are being used as sexual objects by their white masters. Again, not graphic, but obvious and apparent.

You may be wondering why I liked this book, after all that. Because I did--I really liked it. I was pleased that it didn't shy away from tough, meaty, saddening subjects. I appreciated how it honestly portrayed the ENORMOUS difficulty of coming to grips with your own family's transgressions after a lifetime of viewing them as "perfect." I was touched by Caroline and Miz Melindy's efforts to build a bridge out of the rubble of their broken pasts. I was inspired by Caroline's strength to fight, to survive, and to thrive, even when surrounded by so much darkness. She saw and heard things that a fourteen-year-old kid should never have to see and hear. But they couldn't crush her. In the end, she learned to take that pain and turn it into steel; just like her grandmother had done.

"I've got three people hanging inside me now, Miz Melindy."
"Three's all you got hangin' inside there?"
I gaped at her. "Should there be more?"
Again she gave that soft chuckle. "Chile, chile, I gots fifty."

[Janie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Rinaldi! Every time as I pick up a book to read off of my juvenile shelf, I almost groan because so many juvenile books are either poorly written or not interesting to an adult. But Rinaldi never fails to draw you in from the start and make you a silent character in the story. In this one, I was Caroline's shadow as the American Revolution in South Carolina caused this young teenage girl to grow up quickly. As my usual habit, I'll not give away any spoilers; you should read the story for yourself and live every scene as new, just as Caroline did.

Rinaldi is a gifted writer, and as the "About the Author" page states, is a "self-made" one. ". . . Rinaldi never attended college but learned her craft through reading and writing." She was a newspaper columnist who "learned the art of finding a good story, capturing it in words, and meeting a deadline." Rinaldi's books mostly center on American historical personalities, ones she developed an interest in as she helped her son participate in historical reenactments. From there she began researching the large and the small parts of a particular person, event, or both.

In all the books I've read by Rinaldi, her protagonist is a fictional young teenage female who comes of age through the historical events. Very particular historical events may not have actually happened, and some of the main story characters are only loosely based on actual people, yet it is quite likely events such as those did. What this does is put flesh on the bones of history; history becomes real and alive. Instead of words written on paper as facts that the reader is dissociated from, these words become real people with deep feelings who have to live the event. Rinaldi teaches history to her reader vicariously.

If you decide to read some of her books, always treat yourself -- before *and* after the story -- to Rinaldi's "Author's Note" usually found at the end of the book. She clarifies for the reader parts of the story -- the actual from the invented.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a different approach to the story of the American Revolution told from the viewpoint of the South, a much different war than that fought in the North. Caroline Whitaker witnesses her best friend hanged, her father taken to prison, and her brother fighting the Loyalists while she and her mother and sister are forced to stay upstairs in their home while the rest of their home is being occupied by a British colonel. The story is exciting and made me appreciate the price paid for our freedom, a freedom we take much too lightly.

[Trini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 4.5

I am legitimately surprised by this book. I got this book for book clubs, and it didn't look like much. I wasn't suspecting anything, except one warning/comment from my friend who had read it before, and that was that apparently that it was pretty gory at the beginning. And that's true. It is gory, for a middle grade book, at the beginning. The main character's friend is hung, and the scene is described in length, and isn't allowed to be buried for three weeks, and somebody who used to live in the main character's town is asked to buckle their shoe by a British officer, and as they kneel down, they're beheaded, cut to pieces, and a pike is stabbed through them. Cheery, right?

However, I do feel that these gory deaths help to establish the scene. They show how graphic war is at some points, and the cause of many soldiers' deaths.

Anyway, I loved this book. At first, I wasn't expecting much, because a lot of historical fiction is centered around the real events that are happening during the book, and not really on developing the characters or the plot. Along with that, historical fiction can get pretty boring sometimes, especially because you know how things are going to turn out if you've been extensively researching the topic, or just researching it somewhat.

But this book was a lot better than that. Yes, it educated readers about what was going down in the American Revolution, specifically in the South (as the title states), but it also had its own plot, its own characters, and wasn't centered around very specific real events in time. It had a perfect balance of original story and real, historical events/characters. Many of the characters were chosen to represent things that were happening in the Revolutionary War as it was going on, and actually, the main antagonist, Colonel Rawdon, who had basically taken over the protagonist's house, was a real person. In fact, I would have probably risen this book to a 5 had my book club group been better.

I had six people in my book club group, and here's how the situation went: a couple of them tended to go off on a completely different tangent, distracting everybody from the book, two of them tried to bring the conversation back to the book, but they in their own attempts didn't do very well, and the other two, including myself, were mostly normal. But the thing was, we rarely got through our full discussion, and it was annoying, because I was trying to rein in the conversation and nobody was listening.

Anyway, before I go off on another tangent myself, I really liked this book. The plot was interesting, and I liked how it played out as a journey that didn't just conclude when they got back home. Although there was an epilogue that wrapped things up quite nicely, and was actually a bit necessary with all the unanswered questions at the end, this epilogue didn't ensure a happy-ever-after ending, either. One of my favorite characters suffered thanks to the epilogue, actually, so that's something that I never thought an epilogue would do. The plot also was pretty relevant to the American Revolution, while at the same time, not simply repeating historical events that we already knew about. That was one great thing that the book did.

One issue with the epilogue, though, is that it's set ten years or so after the book ends, and by that point, the protagonist, 14 during this book (so 24 in the epilogue), is married with three children. I know they married at a young age back then, but... that's insane.

Anyway, I really liked the characters. Johnny--the protagonist's older brother--and Caroline--the protagonist--had a really good sibling relationship. They care, protect, and depend on the other, but at the same time, they can easily get into arguments. Johnny is seen to get very angry about many things quickly, and is very determined about a couple things, and it's up to Caroline to rein him in, which is a little twisted, since Caroline is younger and all. Meanwhile, Johnny protects Caroline, and makes up many well-thought-out plans to save Caroline, and Caroline also is very protective of Johnny, going off to rescue him and everything. Not to mention the other great characters, like Miz Melindy--Caroline's grandmother--Private Brandon, the redcoat soldier that Caroline befriends, and annoying Georgia Ann, Caroline's sister.

Caroline also had her own very special character arc. At the beginning, Caroline gets very angry quickly, even attacking her sister over the table, and is quite bitter, but through the book, Caroline gets calmer and calmer, and is kinder to more people, helping them out when she can. That's what I really like about Caroline--she's a great main character that you can root for, and you can clearly see her character development over time.

The writing was also really good. You could identify each character by their dialogue, and they all had their own little way of speaking. Johnny had a firm, set way of speaking, taking up the leader role, Miz Melindy had a rather heavy accent and specific words she used, Rawdon sounded sinister the entire time, and Caroline was a little more unsure, and when she was sure, she wasn't calm.

The pacing was pretty good, too. It was crazy that the whole book took place over only twelve days, because it seemed a lot longer, and the book rarely skipped over periods of time, but when it did, it made sense to condense the days into a couple paragraphs, and you didn't miss much information. It was a lot better than the timeskipping in other books I've read.

In conclusion, a really good book. The plot was great, with quite a few plot twists (something you don't see that often in historical fiction!), the characters each had their own character arc, and overall was a great historical fiction book. A fabulous historical fiction book that you should really read if you like the genre, or if you've lost all hope in the genre, then this book will restore your hope.

[Jennifer Honein]

This book is about a girl named Caroline Whitaker. This fourteen year old is growing up during the Revolutionary War. Caroline's father is a rich plantation owner, but hes in jail.

After her father gets out of jail, Lord Rawdon invades the Whitaker's house and moves in. As a result, Caroline, her mother and her sister move into a room upstairs. One night when they were all eating dinner the general says that the food is horrible. Caroline says that her grandmother can cook very well so the general sends her off to find her.

After Carline found her grandma, and they were headed back, a woman stops them and tells them that Johnny-Caroline's brother was injured. They head over to where Johnny was said to be and they find him there with his manservant, both having smallpox.

After Caroline's grandma got her brother healthy enough to leave they deicide to head back. on their was back they see a woman named Just Agnes, who is very very sick, so they put her in they back of the wagon with Caroline.

On their way back, they pass by soldiers who are looking for Johnny, and while they didn't recognize him, they were searching for weapons and they didnt want the soldiers to get the wrong idea of why Just Agnes was screaming in pain. So Caroline covered her up in the blanket so that she wouldnt be as loud. When they got past the soldiers and they uncover Just Agnes they find that she is dead. Caroline feels very guilty but her grandma hugs her and tells her that it's not her fault.

They return home and Johnny lies to the general and tells him that he was never a spy. He even said that he will now spy for the british. After dinner, he says he must leave immediatly and that his sister, mother and Caroline must do the same. Later that evening the general calls for Georgia Ann-their sister. At the end of the book it states that she was never found.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantastic Rinaldi read. It starts off immediately with a very rough passage that really sets an immediately serious, emotional tone for the rest of the book. I had never realized that the Revolutionary War in the South was more like a civil war in that neighbors used the war as an excuse to exact revenge or loot and pillage rivals, adopting whatever side was convenient for them, and Rinaldi really brought that to light in a very vivid way.

I also never cease to admire how she finds so many interesting historical tidbits and brings them up for consideration, as in the case of Agnes, General Cornwallis' lover who is presumably abandoned by him and wanders city to city in the South trying to find him until she succumbs to disease. That, Kit's death, and selling slaves to whom they promised freedom to the West Indies were certainly a good way to highlight British cruelty underneath all their proclivity for culture and civilized accouterments. That theme of having two natures or two sides extended not only to the characters' questioning where their loyalties lie, but also to the main character being biracial and struggling with the reality that her family had buried her parentage and half of her true family for so long. Along with that, Johnny having a Catawba lover was interesting in that it brought to light that racial mixing did happen in the South in those times, but was really taboo and rarely talked about.

Even aside from these sorts of identity issues, the book has a lot of interesting family loyalty conflicts; so many things are going on at so many levels, and I loved the idea of the characters having 'people hanging inside them.' Rinaldi does such a good job at creating believable environments, vivid and admirable characters, and strong internal and external conflicts; I'm so glad I started reading her work again!

[Shaunya Harden]

This book takes place during the American Revolution, in 1780. The main character is a girl named Caroline, her rebel father has been arrested and her brother is fighting for the British. She learns her brother has been injured and takes her "grandmother", Miz Meindy to go to his aid.

Caroline has an extremely selfish sister, Georgia Ann, who very much cares more about herself and the way she looks than her her family. She is being courted by a British colonel, Rawdon.

I think this book is written to show how much family means to some and how little it means to others. People will go out of their way to show how much they care, while others show they don't care at all.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fiction about the South during the American Revolution. This one is definitely a YA novel. I liked the book -- I especially like that Rinaldi tells you at the end what is fact and what id fiction. I think the main female character is much stronger than the females in the other Rinaldi novels I have read and that contributed to my enjoyment of the book.

I read this because I am deciding on its suitability for the 3rd-5th grade library I found it in. I will be moving this one to the middle school library. Violence especially between family members, extramarital sex (though not graphically written), lying to the world about the origins of the main character.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Rinaldi! Some more adult themes in this one, but handled tastefully, as always. I wasn't sold on the ending, but I devoured the book pretty quickly (it was one of those books where I actively looked forward to reading it when I wasn't, which seems to be a thing with Rinaldi books). I'm glad I read it. :)

[Also, though, I have to point out that I rather thought that Georgia Ann had a point when she called Johnny out on Nepoya, especially when the ending came around. I mean, I know it was a little different, since Johnny at least actually cared about Nepoya, but . . . Still and Yet.]

[Brenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was browsing the shelves when I found this book. Usually, an author sticks with the big events of the American Revolution, but Rinaldi sets this book in the south. Caroline, the main character, is 14 years old and sees how the war has separated her family's loyalty, as well as how it has affected her friends. The British have taken over her family's plantation; her father is thrown in jail for supporting the patriots; the brother is fighting for the British. She sees some horrors on both sides and learns some secrets about herself as well. At some points, the reading is a little dry. Overall, a good book, though, YA readers who like historical fiction.

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cast two shadows was amazing book full of suspense. Ann Rinaldi uses an amazing sense of knowledge throughout the book about the Revolutionary War. The main character Caroline is very strong headed. she is brave enough to go fetch her brother home who is injured. she get to bond with her real grandmother. after she finds out a surprising secret about her brother she does the same. At home Colonel Rawden is in her house, but come to find out he is in love with Carloines sister Georgia Ann and she loves him back. This is an amzing story that I recomend to everyone!

[Quentari Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cast Two Shadows is A Good Historical fiction book. The book informs you about what happened in the American Revolution using made up characters, Only the leaders or generals that are head of in army are real life people. The Setting of the story was in Camden South Carolina in 1780. This is a few of the books that I enjoyed. I recommend this book for people who like to read about history. This book is by Ann Rinaldi.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to read this book for school and I am so glad I did. It was a really good book. I loved the ending. It had some action and adventure. I liked the family part of it as well. Overall, to me this was a really good book and I think other people would like it too.

[Kalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick read and a great story with historically accurate details. Rinaldi delivers again.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rough opening scene and a bit of a slow start, picked up steam midway through. Most of the book takes place over a three week period.
I have read very little about the Revolutionary War in the south and the perspective was fascinating. I think this is the first of Rinaldi’s books to bring me to tears.

[Gale · Rating 3 out of 5]

DRAWING STRENGTH FROM HER DUAL HERITAGE

It is the summer of 1780 in hot South Carolina--a tense time for plantation owners who must make a serious political choice:
remain loyal to the King or declare for American independence.
The situation at the Whitaker plantation is painful: the father in a local prison, with threats of being sold in the Bahamas; the young scion of the family off fighting with guerilla patriots; the mother and two daughters virtually kept prisoners in their own home by a pompous British officer who has taken over the place as his headquarters under distant Lord Cornwallis. These red-coated invaders think they can Take or Do whatever they want; no mere Colonial can prevent theft and other war atrocities.

Fourteen-year-old Caroline comes of age that summer, starting on the day she watches her dear friend, Kit, be hanged for foolishly attacking the British--who let his body rot for 3 weeks as a message. Realizing that she is carrying around the ghosts of several people dear to her inside her head, Caroline aches for peace and simple freedom of movement. But this spunky girl, who always squabbles with her vain older sister, discovers shocking truths about her own origins--that she is the light-skinned granddaugther of a tough old "trick negra" in the slave quartes. Why would her mother permit the brat of a slave woman to be raised as her own? What hateful deal was made 12 years ago to keep peace on the plantation? But could the entire truth prove a dangerous thing if proclaimed?

Acclaimed for her well-researched novels of historical fiction, Rinaldi has recreated the spirit of frustration and defiance by Southern patriots in the latter stages of the American Revolution. Many incidents in the story were documented, although her characters are her own creation. Such curious cases as Caroline's double heritage were possible. The protagonist must draw strength and resilience from both her contriubuting races, in order to honor the three people of her true family. Forced to make terrible adult decisions Caroline must choose between one race or the other; between her own folks or horseflesh. This book reads quickly, with its extensive dialogue and swift plotting--captivating readers and holding our interest. We agonize with Caroline as she counts up the images huddled shamefully within her heart, while we admire her sauciness and persistence in defying Col. Rawdon, the popinjay whom Miz Melindy loves to hate. Will Caroline ever comes to terms with her her treacherous sister? More importantly, how can she prove loyal to--and worthy of--her own dual heritage? This is great reading for teens and adults.

(January 2012. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)

[Wisdom Zelda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Inside Story: A Review of Cast Two Shadows

If you live in the US, you have probably heard a lot about the War of Independence. Maybe you think it’s kind of boring: “The British fought the Settlers. Many died. The British...” However, I promise you that by reading this book, you’ll start thinking of the War of Independence in a whole new way. Because here you have it: the Inside Story.

Cast Two Shadows, by Ann Rinaldi, is a story of a young woman, Caroline Whitaker, who lives during the War of Independence. Her home is occupied by the British. With her black grandma, Miz Melindy, she sets out on a dangerous journey to fetch her wounded soldier brother from the swamps.

If you were to read me a list of adjectives, I’d pick “exciting”to describe this book. Although a journey to go fetch her brother might not seem dangerous, it is. In swampy places, malarial fever could be caught easily. Many people died from it. Even though Miz Melindy had cures for it in her burlap bag, the risk still remained. There was also the danger that British troops would bump into them. Then Caroline would be in trouble. They would question her, and probably force her to go back home. And there were the rebels too. They would come charging out of some hiding spot. Sometimes they’d slaughter you even if you were on their side.

But the greatest danger of all was definitely encountering the British troops. I’m not saying that the British people are evil (on the contrary!) but as a whole the British troops were ruthless. The book even starts with a hanging. Hangings are cruel things in themselves, but British official Colonel Rawdon didn’t stop there. He let bodies swing, for weeks and weeks and weeks. But don’t worry, the gruesome things in this book aren’t described in full detail. I’m just really good at picturing things--sometimes so good that I get scared!

As well being exciting Cast Two Shadows also felt real. The people dressed most accurately (eek, I’m using old-ish English! This book affected me way too much). The girls had wardrobes of dresses and Colonel Rawdon had the most showy uniforms. And the slaves talked in the way that they must have talked like in the 1700s: “I doan know where he is, Miz Sarah, I doan know.”

So all in all, I think you should read this book (I usually say that, for some reason). You should especially do so if you think that the War of Independence is b-o-r-i-n-g. Maybe you’ll want to become a historian! Because you will be hypnotized by this Inside Story. If you'd like to see more youth reviewed books, go to my blog, bookshelfexplorer.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the few things Rinaldi's Cast Two Shadows does very well is communicate a sense of the chaos of wartime occupation. Beyond the protagonist's confinement to one room of her former plantation house, there's the sense that the very landscape of South Carolina has been changed by the presence of the British. Nothing seems safe; there are soldiers everywhere, unpredictable and dangerous; families are torn apart; no one knows quite whom to trust. That kind of confusion is hard to get across to readers, and Rinaldi does an excellent job.

Yet the book is not a satisfying read. The issues of race that are central to the protagonist's identity are handled clumsily: Rinaldi is ostensibly writing about a mixed-race protagonist, but in fact writes about a white girl who sometimes spares race a thought. And there's a deep problematic in expecting readers to side with a 14 year-old (white) girl over everyone else. I was struck by this most forcefully when Caroline has to make a choice between telling a British officer where her brother's horse is, or letting her (black, enslaved) uncle be whipped 200 times. It was nauseating. Or there's the moment where Caroline wonders how on earth the slaves on her plantation can sing; she feels beyond song, and the contrast that's suggested is that her life is much harder in that moment than theirs. Please.

I wanted to like this very much - goodness knows we need more historical stories about young women who can take action rather than simply being passive while others make decisions. But ultimately I was left disappointed.

[Rebecca Radnor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revolutionary war in south Carolina told from the viewpoint of girl whose home the top British generals have taken-over as their base.

Normally with a Rinaldi book the story will evolve around clear historical teachable events that were central to the war being discussed, this is not the case here. Instead, the focus is on how in the south, unlike in Massachusetts, families were often split down the middle in their loyalties. The main character's father is in jail for being a patriot, her mother is a loyalist, etc. Rinaldi's focus seems to be how British cruelty and political incompetence drove many individuals who had started the war as royalists into so hating the British that they changed sides.

The split is also between being white or being black. In this book Rinaldi returns to the topic she discussed so well in her title, 'Wolf by the Ears,' and in the less complex book, 'Numbering all the bones,' the complex issue of how households with slaves managed their mixed race children. In this household, unlike in her other books, the girl is treated as the natural child of her white parents, and the whole family maintains a lie to the rest of the world about her race. HOW this happens is complex, and while the girl has always known that her father was her father and her mother had been a slave, there is intrigue in how her white parents managed events, and how the girl learns for the first time about their particulars and then has to learn to accept them.

It might compliment Mel Gibson's 'The Patriot' but otherwise its not particularly useful

[Luckngrace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read several of Ann Rinaldi's YA historical novels. I always love them and learn from them. This one featured a young white-skinned black girl being raised as white by her white plantation master father, his wife and family. The American Revolution is beginning and the members of her family are ambivalent about which side to support. They begin as Tories, but are faced with "popinjay" (Redcoat) attrocities and must make hard choices. The British occupiers are arrogant and treat patriots much as Southerners treated their slaves. As punishment, they often sold patriot prisoners to the Caribbean as slaves. I never knew this happened to white settlers. They burned homes, stole or killed farm animals and definitely never worried about "winning the hearts and minds of the people" as we would say today. People who previously loved the motherland often switched sides as they saw their innocent friends hung in the public square and their bodies left displayed for days or weeks accprding to old English practices.

I've been reading a lot of Civil War history lately and it struck as strange that these American Southerners of the 1770's could adopt the white negro daughter and treat her as their own. It makes me wonder if whites were more kind to slaves then and later degenerated, or if Miss Rinaldi used poetic license to create this kinder fiction for young people.

[Caitlin710 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was full thoughts and feelings. It really makes you think about what you have and to be grateful for all you have. Caroline has lost basically everything in her life. Her sister turned against her family, she had to burn down her own house, her father was in jail and their country was in the middle of a war. She just kept losing all these things in her life but she still stayed strong to protect her family and help her country.
Ann Rinaldi also teaches us that you should fight for what you believe in. Even though Caroline had a general take over her house her sister turn against her family to agree with the general, she still fought for what she believed. She risked her life many times to fight for her family and country. She tricked the general into letting her find her brother who was hurt and brought him back to help her. Never did she give into the bribes the general gave her if she turned to him. She fought and fought and fought and in the end it turns out she won, she didn't give in, she didn't give up and it paid off. I definitely recommend this book to people. It will really force you to think about yourself and dig deeper into learning what it felt like to be in that time period.

[Tara ♪ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cast Two Shadows: The American Revolution in the South is the story of Caroline, who, despite being only 3/4 white, is part of the family she's living with. The story opens to Caroline, her sister Georgia Ann, and her "mother" confined to a room upstairs, because a British officer has taken over the downstairs. Caroline receives word that her brother, Johnny is deserting from the British army. The officer living downstairs doesn't know that; he thinks that Johnny was injured fighting. So, he gives permission for Caroline and her slave grandmother to go and bring him home. I won't say more because I don't want to spoil it.

I didn't like Georgia Ann; but who would? She was very mean and cared more for the "popinjay" (as the slaves called the officer) than for her own family. Johnny was a good character, too. And I was happy that there was no horrid mother, and no dedicated servant that left them anyways. That gets a bit old. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Caroline's good decisions about where to run to in the end of the book and to burn the house herself, scaring the officer, were brave, but maybe a bit too brave? Still, I liked that she had spirit! Courage! Guts, as you might say. A great book! I loved it!

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's good history in here. I liked how through "Cast Two Shadows", "Time Enough for Drums", "The Fifth of March: A Story of the Boston Massacre", "Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons", "Finishing Becca" and "A Ride into Morning: The Story of Tempe Wick", Rinaldi gives a great overview of the American Revolution for people from all walks of life. In "Cast Two Shadows" we get a Southerner's perspective. Here the Revolutionary War is more than politics and talk between men, but a bitter war between families and a desperate and bloody fight to save land/resources.

There is also the tricky and unpleasant business between Southern landowners and their slaves mixed into the plot. Caroline, the story's protagonist, is the product of relations between her father, the master of the plantation, and Cecie, a slave. Cecie herself is the daughter of a slave and the plantation's white overseer. Caroline has been raised with her father in the "big house" and as the story progresses must come to terms with the complicated truth of her family. Good story here and brings up some complex historical concepts.

[Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, not strictly Georgia, the Carolinas, but 'in the region'. I read this as part of my reading to understand a bit about the area where my son and family are living. I've read modern Georgian authors, and Ferrol Sams about the turn of the 20th century, Gone with the wind about the civil war, so I guess this one is my earliest historical foray in the Americas.
But for a dip into the journal of someone who lived through the American War of Independance, this one was the nearest I have got to the truth of the times. The author did not avoid the unsavory truths of what happens in war, and how families are torn apart and suspicion makes people act out of character.
There were issues brought to light which are often sidestepped or avoided in dealing with history and national sensitivities and I found it a good read, and informative.
Someone has mentioned enjoying the author's note and I am glad she informed us of how closely she stuck to the historical truth, and her attempt to portray the events through the eyes of one young girl approaching womanhood, growing up fast and dealing with the world as it was and as it is.

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cast Two Shadows

The book takes place during the Revolutionary War. Caroline is the main character of the book. Her father has been put in prison by the British. She's in South Carolina, and the British have arrived. They take over her family's house, use their provisions, and take her favorite horse.

It's basically a book about a family living under occupation by a foreign power, complicated by the fact that the country itself is divided into those who are rebels, and those who are still loyal to the British government.

She ends up having to go on a mission to rescue her brother, who has been injured. At the same time, she is coming to terms with the fact that she found out she is part black, even though her physical appearance gives no trace of that.

There's also a number of things in this book that show just how cruel the British wore when they carried out their occupation, some of their activities not being that very different from some things done in World War II.

Also, as with her other historical books, the author includes a section on the factual history underlying the book, and those sections always make for good reading in themselves.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I did not like: I thought this book did not do enough to condemn slavery. They showed the relationships between the slaves and the white family as friendships, instead of exposing the harsh power dynamic that was present. I don’t think the author thought slavery was a good thing but she did not do enough to expose the cruelties of it. Also, she wrote the slave dialogue different from the dialogue of white people. I’m not sure if this is necessarily a bad thing but it did not sit right with me

What I Liked: The author totally did her research on the revolution, especially how it was a completely different war in the south than it was in the north. She also showed how much everyone valued pale skin. Caroline’s grandmother was a slave, but her skin was so white that she was invited to live at the main house and be a adopted sibling of the family. It also showed the horrors of both sides of the war very well, particularly how violent and dividing the war was. I read this book over the summer and the plot was fun and exciting with plenty of twists and turns.

[Johnny G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rounded down to three stars for this one. Our class recently had an historical fiction unit, and this higher-level book was lonely and forlorn in the shelf, separate from others, so I picked it up. Here’s what I do not understand. Who is the author writing for? It seems to be a pretty narrow window of tweens or adults who would take a shining to a short novel that might have happened during the Revolution in the south, 1780. Also, how would a teacher explain a mostly-white main character who has a black grandmother? Toughie. (And it seems hard to believe they connect for the first time on a sojourn around South Carolina). There were a couple other actions in the book I found hard to believe, although I appreciate the author’s spirited writing.

[Mariesreads · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started reading this one reluctantly. I didn't want to read a book set during a war. And it is true, this book is a really good comment on man's inhumanity to man. My first impression was that the author leaned toward making one side look worse than the other...then I read her comments at the end of the book. She did acknowledge that there were atrocities all the way around. Even the Bible says that humans cannot rule themselves. Ecclesiastes 8:9 says that man rules himself to his own injury...to me this is what this book was all about.

[Melissa Namba · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is for my 8 year old niece who is an advanced reader. She will have to work through this, but I think she will like it. I like the way it subtly introduces the way the British men "use" women because it isn't done in a vulgar way and really only intimated at the issues, so that the reader can still see there is a problem but doesn't have to know the more mature details. I am very much a fan of historical fiction and appreciate the research that Rinaldi puts into her books to ensure a somewhat accurate depiction (and history lesson!).

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book set in Camden SC during the Revolutionary war. A family with members in both the loyalist camp and the patriot camp, and the struggles they go through. Nice window into the time period. Caroline, the 14 year old girl who tells the story, is a strong and interesting girl approaching womanhood, struggling with the truths and inconsistencies in the world around her. Will offer to the granddaughters when they come tomorrow.