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Sunfire #27
Margaret
Her new life as a prairie schoolteacher means hardship -- and love. Teaching in a one-room prairie schoolhouse in Nebraska in 1886 means more than giving lessons to 32 very different students. For 15-year-old Margaret, who has left Chicago to start a new life, it also means learning to survive savage blizzards, a deadly plague, and awful loneliness. Then she meets Gerald, the handsome young easterner who is teaching in a nearby town. And she finds herself drawn more and more to brooding, handsome Robert, the 18-year-old farmer's son who is her worst pupil.
220 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
December 27, 2020
Margaret yearns for adventure. In 1886, that means teaching school on the Nebraska prairie.
But fifteen years, a privileged upbringing in Chicago, and a stubborn streak don’t stretch far when you’re up against a Nebraska blizzard. Or an entire classroom of students who claim to be named John. Or a head of the school board who derides Margaret’s every effort to win the hearts of her students.
Or Robert Clark--18-years-old, illiterate, and enrolled in Margaret’s classroom.
Something--she’s quite certain--he has done just to make her life that much more impossible!
I read Margaret for the first time in the sixth grade. And have read it about fifteen times since. One of around thirty novels in the YA historical fiction series entitled Sunfire (all of which are stand-alone books), Margaret stands out as an absolutely fantastic read! It’s lightning quick & chock full of realistic frontier drama. The characters leap to life, and the relationships have a vibrant, authentic feel. Margaret, herself, has a genuine desire to be a great teacher, and the problems she faces ring true within any era.
But fifteen years, a privileged upbringing in Chicago, and a stubborn streak don’t stretch far when you’re up against a Nebraska blizzard. Or an entire classroom of students who claim to be named John. Or a head of the school board who derides Margaret’s every effort to win the hearts of her students.
Or Robert Clark--18-years-old, illiterate, and enrolled in Margaret’s classroom.
Something--she’s quite certain--he has done just to make her life that much more impossible!
I read Margaret for the first time in the sixth grade. And have read it about fifteen times since. One of around thirty novels in the YA historical fiction series entitled Sunfire (all of which are stand-alone books), Margaret stands out as an absolutely fantastic read! It’s lightning quick & chock full of realistic frontier drama. The characters leap to life, and the relationships have a vibrant, authentic feel. Margaret, herself, has a genuine desire to be a great teacher, and the problems she faces ring true within any era.
August 7, 2008
(See my review of Amanda for my general impressions of this series.)
I am now officially questioning the sense and worth of my 12-year-old self. (This is not the first time I have done so, actually.) As much as I loved the Sunfires as a kid, it turns out that I had never even read several of the best volumes in the series, such as this one. Margaret held my attention so well that I actually read it in about four hours, give or take some very unwelcome interruptions.
Margaret Evans leaves Chicago at the tender age of 15 to become a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse in a small Nebraska town in 1886. Although our girl is a plucky orphan like so many Sunfire heroines, she actually has a recognizable passion for education and a desire to make a difference.
In Clarktown, Margaret boards with the Wilsons (Mr. Wilson being head of the school board), who are basically that sour-looking couple from American Gothic. They're strict, unsmiling, rude, and they don't feed Margaret all that well, either. Her travails only multiply when school starts and she's faced with a group of students who are variably troublesome, apathetic, unruly, scared, ignorant or otherwise opposed to education.
Robert Clark, an 18 year old farmer, begins to attend class with his younger brother in order to learn how to read. Margaret's convinced he's only there to scrutinize her, and although she tries to ignore him, she finds that she can't quite manage. Margaret also makes the acquaintance of handsome Gerald Moore, schoolteacher from the neighboring town, and Mary Whitaker, a sweet young widow.
The first conflict facing Margaret is earning the respect of her students, and that she doesn't make it happen overnight, and makes more than one mistake along the way, is both welcome and surprising. Margaret herself is complex and imperfect, and very believable as an idealistic woman of her time.
This book offers a greater glimpse into the social customs and views of the historical era than many other Sunfires. As she wins over the students, Margaret also slowly becomes less of an outsider and more of a member of the community. Religious differences are broached (especially at a dance where half the town's citizens sit out for the entire evening), and differing attitudes regarding education and women's roles are discussed by the characters in detail.
Several chapters are taken up with the regular evening gatherings of Margaret, Mary, Robert, and Gerald, and though this drags just slightly, I enjoyed the extra layers these scenes gave to the characters. Many peripheral Sunfire characters (and even a lot of heroines) are one-trick ponies, but this group is actually fleshed out. Thus, Gerald's traditional views on women make him seem to be simply a product of his time, rather than a controlling jerk, as the "losing suitors" are generally portrayed.
Yes, Margaret densely assumes that both men are courting Mary (and it turns out that they're not *both* courting Margaret, a refreshing change) but she is *okay with that,* deep down. She likes Robert, she's jealous of Mary a little, but she's always got something else in her plans to console her. And she actually doesn't let her interest in Robert stand in the way of going to college for the summer!
Despite the fact that the final chapter is very dramatic and sweepingly romantic (it's not been rivaled in this series so far) I was a little sad to see Margaret agree to marry Robert. Not because he's a bad guy, but because Margaret would likely have to give up her beloved teaching job- married women weren't allowed to teach. Miner neatly sidesteps this conflict by ending the book before we know if she'll lose the job or not, which avoids either a downer in the last chapter or a historically inaccurate conceit. However, I'm legitimately worried that Margaret might get itchy feet as a farmer's wife in Nebraska. Hmm. It's not enough to reduce my rating. Did I mention the ending is *really* romantic?
Verdict: A well-drawn portrait of a time and place, with interesting, engaging characters. This is one of the shorter Sunfires that actually feels like a complete story. Also, in a series of Heathers and Sabrinas and other flowery names that didn't quite fit the historical era, what a relief to see a good ol' Margaret!
I am now officially questioning the sense and worth of my 12-year-old self. (This is not the first time I have done so, actually.) As much as I loved the Sunfires as a kid, it turns out that I had never even read several of the best volumes in the series, such as this one. Margaret held my attention so well that I actually read it in about four hours, give or take some very unwelcome interruptions.
Margaret Evans leaves Chicago at the tender age of 15 to become a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse in a small Nebraska town in 1886. Although our girl is a plucky orphan like so many Sunfire heroines, she actually has a recognizable passion for education and a desire to make a difference.
In Clarktown, Margaret boards with the Wilsons (Mr. Wilson being head of the school board), who are basically that sour-looking couple from American Gothic. They're strict, unsmiling, rude, and they don't feed Margaret all that well, either. Her travails only multiply when school starts and she's faced with a group of students who are variably troublesome, apathetic, unruly, scared, ignorant or otherwise opposed to education.
Robert Clark, an 18 year old farmer, begins to attend class with his younger brother in order to learn how to read. Margaret's convinced he's only there to scrutinize her, and although she tries to ignore him, she finds that she can't quite manage. Margaret also makes the acquaintance of handsome Gerald Moore, schoolteacher from the neighboring town, and Mary Whitaker, a sweet young widow.
The first conflict facing Margaret is earning the respect of her students, and that she doesn't make it happen overnight, and makes more than one mistake along the way, is both welcome and surprising. Margaret herself is complex and imperfect, and very believable as an idealistic woman of her time.
This book offers a greater glimpse into the social customs and views of the historical era than many other Sunfires. As she wins over the students, Margaret also slowly becomes less of an outsider and more of a member of the community. Religious differences are broached (especially at a dance where half the town's citizens sit out for the entire evening), and differing attitudes regarding education and women's roles are discussed by the characters in detail.
Several chapters are taken up with the regular evening gatherings of Margaret, Mary, Robert, and Gerald, and though this drags just slightly, I enjoyed the extra layers these scenes gave to the characters. Many peripheral Sunfire characters (and even a lot of heroines) are one-trick ponies, but this group is actually fleshed out. Thus, Gerald's traditional views on women make him seem to be simply a product of his time, rather than a controlling jerk, as the "losing suitors" are generally portrayed.
Yes, Margaret densely assumes that both men are courting Mary (and it turns out that they're not *both* courting Margaret, a refreshing change) but she is *okay with that,* deep down. She likes Robert, she's jealous of Mary a little, but she's always got something else in her plans to console her. And she actually doesn't let her interest in Robert stand in the way of going to college for the summer!
Despite the fact that the final chapter is very dramatic and sweepingly romantic (it's not been rivaled in this series so far) I was a little sad to see Margaret agree to marry Robert. Not because he's a bad guy, but because Margaret would likely have to give up her beloved teaching job- married women weren't allowed to teach. Miner neatly sidesteps this conflict by ending the book before we know if she'll lose the job or not, which avoids either a downer in the last chapter or a historically inaccurate conceit. However, I'm legitimately worried that Margaret might get itchy feet as a farmer's wife in Nebraska. Hmm. It's not enough to reduce my rating. Did I mention the ending is *really* romantic?
Verdict: A well-drawn portrait of a time and place, with interesting, engaging characters. This is one of the shorter Sunfires that actually feels like a complete story. Also, in a series of Heathers and Sabrinas and other flowery names that didn't quite fit the historical era, what a relief to see a good ol' Margaret!
October 26, 2010
I really enjoyed the writing in this book. I also really enjoyed Margaret's character, she is strong and feminist for her time and I liked it! The character Mary, on the other hand, drives me absolutely crazy!! I can understand a widow wanting to get married so she would have someone to help take care of her and her children, but she is such a wimp and it gets really annoying. Not that I don't get annoyed at Margaret being blind to the fact that a certain man was in love with her, but I can't get too mad because we can all be blind to that. I love how invested Margaret is in her work as a teacher, I was able to really connect with her character that way and like to think if I lived back then that I would be a teacher like her.
March 11, 2013
I enjoyed that she was only 16 years old and yet decided to travel away from all that she has ever known in order to teach a school. She had difficultys along the way including the loss of several students. She had many thoughts regarding the 2 "men" that came into her life and decided what was best for her. I think that based on the fact that she was so young, even though back then she was considered an adult, that she was very brave and very conscious of what she wanted and how to achieve that goal.
July 26, 2012
Reading the old Sunfires this summer. This is not one I read as a kid. Historically and setting wise, this was interesting. The characters will a bit hard to take at times. Margaret was strong, but ignoring students did not sit well with me no matter what you think of their motives, probably the educator in me rearing her head. Her love interests said some irritating things at times, too.
March 5, 2013
This was okay, but it was basically a simpler version of Christy. Christy is a long book and this is a very short one and it didn't have time to really explore everything fully. Or much of anything, really. But it was enjoyable enough.
May 4, 2016
Another really enjoyable Sunfire romance, with a strong heroine. Gerald was pretty lame as a rival love interest, and Robert could have had more interaction with Margaret in the first half of the book, but all in all, it was good fun. Full recap: https://cheerleadersrecaps.wordpress....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2015
Waxing Nostalgic #4- This book is about Margaret who travels to the wilds of Nebraska to be a one room school teacher. She is independent and strong willed, brave, and determined. She finds love in an unlikely place and learns to love the people she serves.
January 6, 2014
The one star is for it being a book. That's the best I can say for this "story,": It's a book.
August 30, 2019
Basic Plot: Margaret becomes a frontier prairie schoolteacher.
I remember reading this and a bunch of the other Sunfire romance novels when I was an early teen. I acquired a couple through the ubiquitous Scholastic reading catalogues sent home from school and managed to find a few more at the local public library. I genuinely liked them at the time. They provided a little bit of historical tidbit in with the love stories, and featured young women who fought for what they wanted and didn't just stand by waiting for things to happen.
Margaret had a tough adjustment period, as any new teacher does. And she's even teaching students older than she is. After reading the blurb, I don't remember her being only 15. I started teaching at 23 and cannot imagine being in a one-room schoolhouse at 15, expected to teach all those kids... Yikes. As always it seems, there is a love triangle here where the end choice is pretty obvious. The culture shock of leaving her city life and dealing with the prejudices and issues of prairie life are really the big feature here, because there are more relationships in Margaret's life than just her beaux, which is nice.
I remember reading this and a bunch of the other Sunfire romance novels when I was an early teen. I acquired a couple through the ubiquitous Scholastic reading catalogues sent home from school and managed to find a few more at the local public library. I genuinely liked them at the time. They provided a little bit of historical tidbit in with the love stories, and featured young women who fought for what they wanted and didn't just stand by waiting for things to happen.
Margaret had a tough adjustment period, as any new teacher does. And she's even teaching students older than she is. After reading the blurb, I don't remember her being only 15. I started teaching at 23 and cannot imagine being in a one-room schoolhouse at 15, expected to teach all those kids... Yikes. As always it seems, there is a love triangle here where the end choice is pretty obvious. The culture shock of leaving her city life and dealing with the prejudices and issues of prairie life are really the big feature here, because there are more relationships in Margaret's life than just her beaux, which is nice.
dnf
July 9, 2022I never actually read the Sunfire books as a kid so when I saw this I thought "hey, let's give it a try." It did not work for me; it read like mediocre Little House on the Prairie fanfiction - so on the one hand a lot of details about life on the prairie in the nineteenth century but on the other hand a total lack of comprehension about things like "you didn't just pick up and go home to Chicago for a holiday weekend on the train on a whim." It just wasn't my thing. I might have liked it as a child, but honestly I was pedantic enough as a child that I probably would have objected to the historical inaccuracies then too.
July 25, 2017
Bizarrely anachronistic and terribly written, I somehow couldn't bring myself to completely hate this book the way I know it deserved. At the same time, Margaret seems to be far more concerned with her love life than actual life-or-death events, so...yeah, that's about par for the course for Sunfire novels.
For my full recap and review including spoilers, check out Young Adult Historical Vault. https://yahistoricalvault.com/2016/09...
For my full recap and review including spoilers, check out Young Adult Historical Vault. https://yahistoricalvault.com/2016/09...
November 27, 2024
I think I read this one when I was younger. Margaret is a 16-year-old schoolteacher who goes to Nebraska to teach at a one room schoolhouse. I liked that the author showed that although Margaret was very mature for her age, she still had some growing up to do. I thought the romance worked out ok not the best but not the worst either. All in all, an enjoyable read.
February 2, 2020
Margaret may not have been, but she always has good points and readers’ wonder of what she’ll do next. She started getting weird by chapter 16 though. However, I’m thinking of reading other Sunfire books by Jane Claypool Miner.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2020
3.5 stars
Read
December 28, 2020Read this in jr high. Forgot about this series other than remembering i really liked them at the time. Will have to re-read them.
January 13, 2024
The first time I read this book was almost fours years ago exactly. It doesn’t seem like that long but it is definitely not as good as I remember.
Originally, I gave this book five stars and I LOVED it but though what I remember of the story is the same it just isn’t the same. I still enjoyed re-reading it though and found a lot of enjoyment of the simplicity of the story.
Overall, it was a fun book to read but the writing and story is very simplistic. Definitely a great book for young girls to read but I wouldn’t read this book for the first time when you are older because it definitely won’t have the same appeal. For me, I still love it because of the first read I think.
Originally, I gave this book five stars and I LOVED it but though what I remember of the story is the same it just isn’t the same. I still enjoyed re-reading it though and found a lot of enjoyment of the simplicity of the story.
Overall, it was a fun book to read but the writing and story is very simplistic. Definitely a great book for young girls to read but I wouldn’t read this book for the first time when you are older because it definitely won’t have the same appeal. For me, I still love it because of the first read I think.
November 22, 2016
Serious business. These books are so fabulous. While in previous Sunfire books, our heroine must choose between a ne'er-do-well and a respectable goody-two-shoes, Maggie here has to choose between a prodigy farmer and an opera-going chauvinist. I'm not going to spoil it for you.
Gotta say, this one is a little shorter than some of the others. Jane could have milked the prairie fire for at least 25 more pages. Oh, and the summer spent at Antioch College could have definitely used another love interest. That would have been 25 more pages, at least.
Gotta say, this one is a little shorter than some of the others. Jane could have milked the prairie fire for at least 25 more pages. Oh, and the summer spent at Antioch College could have definitely used another love interest. That would have been 25 more pages, at least.
July 3, 2017
I originally read this series back in the 80s, checking them out from my elementary school library. Having re-read them as an adult I think they stand the test of time and are still relevant as far as historical fiction is concerned.
September 8, 2015
Felt like it was hasty of her in the end to change her mind about marriage. Especially at the beginning of the school year.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2016
A sweet story.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews