Where Have All the Flowers Gone?: The Diary of Molly MacKenzie Flaherty, Boston, Massachusetts, 1968

Dear America

by Ellen Emerson White

An agonizing dilemma plagues these brother-sister diarists. He is a Marine stationed in Vietnam. She is at home in America, far away from her brother's war zone, fighting for peace. As the marine writes in his journal about his experiences as a soldier, fighting an enemy he can't see, his sister seeks peace. In these gripping installments of DEAR AMERICA and MY NAME IS AMERICA, Ellen Emerson White captures the unique time period when America was at war both in a far-off place, and at home where adults and children alike marched in the streets for peace and freedom. Poignant and complex, these two characters will give readers a glimpse into perhaps the most tumultuous time in modern American history.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Historical, Diary

176 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2002

About the author

This talented writer attended Tufts University (and published her first book, Friends for Life, while a senior there) and currently lives in New York City. Ms. White grew up in Narragansett, Rhode Island. Many of her novels feature characters who reside in or around Boston and are fans of the Boston Red Sox (as is Ms. White). In addition to novels, Ms. White has published several biographies. She also writes under the pseudonym Zack Emerson (taking the name Zack from the name of her shepherd dog) and under the pseudonym Nicholas Edwards (Santa Paws series).

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been taken off the shelves at my school's library. The content is inappropriate for elementary students. This type of action makes me angry. Did the person who was offended by it read the story? If not, shame on them.

For me, this was excellent book discussing life at home during the Vietnam War.

[ϟEvelynϟ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hippies officially rule.

Okay, so basically, I really loved this installment in the series even though it's not very "historical" like the other ones in the series. I thought this one wasn't going to be interesting because it was the latest historical date in the series, but I was wrong. It's one of my favorites. One: It felt like I was reading my diary. Two: Molly was so easy to follow. Three: The History was so easy to understand. Three: Molly's life was very much like mine; I could relate to her. Molly herself is very cool.

Patrick and Molly: I could relate to their brotherly/sisterly relationship. My brother and I like to joke around and laugh at the same things. We figure each other out secretly. We do have a lot of hard times, but we overcome them...like fast. I really thought my brother and I could relate.

Everything Molly would write in her diary, I would find myself writing too. I mean, it's like I was opening up my diary and reading it. I loved that about this book.

Even though there wasn't particularly(besides Jason) a love interest in the installment, I enjoyed it. I preferably enjoy the ones with the love interests even more, but if there's a Dear America diary where there isn't a love interest and I loved it, it certainly is a great. Do I make sense?

Mature, well-written, funny, enjoyable, and such a great read. Hippies rule. Peace out!

~Evelyn

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Knocking off a star for the 5 instances of cussing and profanity.

[Victoria Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

going back to my ROOTS

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this read because I lived through all of the history described. I graduated from high school in 1967 and the only things that were not in this book were the college riots that happened after Kent State. I was at SIU Carbondale when it closed. Riots were televised on the 6 PM news and it took my dad 3 days to get a phone call through to me. National Guard was called in to quell the riots. Waves of tear gas wafted into the alley behind my home on Ash Street.

I was a freshman in high school, sitting in study hall, when the announcement came over the intercom that President Kennedy had been shot in Dallas. I was glued to the black and white TV for the Dallas coverage and I saw Jack Ruby shoot Oswald, as he was being brought through the tunnel into the courthouse. This was the first time such violence was shown on TV. I cried during the funeral, as the riderless black horse marched with black boots backwards in the saddle stirrups. It was heart breaking to watch Little John Kennedy salute the coffin in Arlington Cemetary. I think this was the end of my innocence, and the country seemed to go crazy afterward.

First Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis. Subsequent riots in most major cities were violent, as young black youth strove to demand equal rights with violence. Large areas of many major cities burned and even black first responders had trouble pacifying angry black youth. The next assassination was Bobby Kennedy. Civil rights workers from the North disappeared in the South trying to register black voters. Their bodies were found later in an earthen dam. Places in the deep south were still mad they lost the Civil War.

It was a time when I felt like I did not know what would happen next. Who would be the next assassination? Viet Nam was always a threat and I feared for my brother. I must say, I wrote essays on the injustice of our young men fighting an undeclared war in southeast Asia. My resolve was not shaken when I saw 2 boyfriends go into the Navy and one came back horribly burned. So many young boys returned with mental scars of atrocities, they had trouble adjusting to stateside life. It was a time of sadness, heartbreak, violence, disbelief, and uncertainty for the future.

I graduated from college in 1971 and had a teaching position before I graduated. The 1970's seemed a calmer time compared to all the chaos of the 1960's.

[Alex Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting to love this as much as I did, but it's such a fantastic book and holds up spectacularly well. It's such a fun easy read, and Ellen Emerson White does a great job of weaving the history and culture into this book without making it come across like a history lesson. Molly is a well developed character and I'd recommend this to anyone, regardless of age. Very worthwhile read.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This goes on my list of favorite Dear America books—read it in one sitting!

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the companion book to The Journal of Patrick Seamus Flaherty: United States Marine Corps, Khe Sanh, Vietnam, 1968 also written by Ellen Emerson White. I nearly equally enjoyed reading about Molly’s life and family at home as I did gleaning insight into Patrick’s experiences in Vietnam; both are nice works of historical fiction that would greatly add to any U.S. History studies or just for the love of learning.

[Teresa Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book set in 1968 I read it because it was in a bundle of books I bought my granddaughter at Goodwill and wanted to make sure it was ok for her to have it read to her or to read one day. It is about a teen whose brother is in Vietnam and the feelings and changes she goes through during that time. Brought back lots of memories of my day and the friends and others I meet later in life who served there.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started a little slow and heavy-handed. It is quite obviously meant to be discussing 9/11 through Vietnam, which made me roll my eyes and set the book aside for a bit. However, as Molly begins thinking through the war and seeing it from many perspectives, she sees how complicated the war is and begins to draw her own conclusions, rather than be influenced by her peers or parents.

I was really emotional--like lump-in-throat, tears welling emotional--when Patrick finally gets to call home. It just reminded me of my mom talking about her dad calling from Vietnam.

Loved all the VA hospital stuff. They were the best parts. The school stuff was terrible, but mostly because it reminded me of the ways adults fail kids by giving them simplistic answers, e.g. "Communism is bad," without contextualizing it for them. Teachers especially fail their students when they don't take their questions seriously or nurture their curiosity. Also, the book touches on the strain and real emotional toll on students w/ family in Vietnam. I would have liked more of that.

Anytime Molly discusses race, it's just awful. It's not clear if that's a failing on the author's part or the view of race from a teenager in a highly racist city or what, but...oof.

[Kelsey Hanson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings on this one. The 1960s is one of the most fascinating time periods in American history just because SO MUCH happened during this decade. However, a lot of the interesting counter-culture and politics that made the period so interesting would go over the heads or be vastly inappropriate for the intended middle school audience. I think I would have enjoyed this more if I had read it when I was younger. Because of the subject matter, the book doesn't really focus too much on any one issue and it is stuffed with cultural references. Generally, it's a good book for a younger audience, but a bit simplified for anyone who has more than a basic knowledge of the 1960s.

[Little Seal · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites of the 'Dear America' series so far. Despite some typos, it was well written and I related to the character. It helps that Molly was 15 and turned 16 during the book as a lot of the 'Dear America' books tend to gear a little younger. It means that there was more mature subjects (nothing too intense) which was realistic for the time period they were talking about. I will say it was fairly depressing reading the Historical Notes section though due to the author mentioning that it seems possible soon that America will not discriminate and we'll hear about our victories AND failures, when it sadly hasn't been all that true. I look forward to reading her brother's book to get the more gritty side of things.

[Tatiana]

The title of this book is The Diary Of Mackenzie Flaherty. The author of this book is Ellen Emerson White. The setting of this book takes place in Boston Massachusetts in 1968. The main characters in this book are Molly,Brenda,Patrick and her mom and dad. The problem in this story is that her brother Patrick has to fight in a dangerous war. So Molly wants to get him out of the war so she was thinking about protesting. But everyday that the war was going on Molly would write in her diary about what was going on. It was hard for molly because her dad did smoke but she got through it because she had a good friend Brenda. Molly would always be with Brenda and Molly worked a lot she would always be babysitting kids. I would recommend this book to a person who likes history because it talks about the war and a lot of things happen in wars like slavery,fighting, laws etc. It also is a really wordy book in my opinion is if you like to read a lot you should read this book because it's a really long story. This book connects to the theme My Place In This World because Molly has found her place with working with kids and protesting against the war. She wants peace with everyone so no one has to fight each other and get killed and that's how it connects to the theme because she is standing up for this world.

[Samantha Ania · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a reading slump so busted out a trusty Dear America. Interesting take on a teen trying to make sense of Vietnam while living it. Very bleh white person take on civil rights though.

[Ana Mardoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where Have All the Flowers Gone (Vietnam) / 0-439-14889-8

The Dear America series prides itself on providing windows into extraordinary historical periods in American history through the eyes of ordinary young men and women, for the entertainment and education of young adults and parents alike. "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" looks at the Vietnam war, through the eyes of Molly, a young woman who struggles with the ideological diatribe on either side of the issue and merely longs for her dear brother to come home again, safe and sound.

Handling this volatile and emotionally difficult time period with grace and even-handedness, the author carefully cultivates a curious spirit in fictional diarist Molly. Molly listens carefully to the dialogue on both sides of the issue, hears the "Red Menace" jingoism of her teachers and the tales of American atrocities from the 'hippies' downtown, and wonders what the truth is, under all the emotion and turmoil surrounding the war. She watches the war on television and fears for her brother as his letters to home mention his friends less and less frequently, and she knows that this is because his friends are, over time, dying one by one. In order to feel useful, Molly volunteers her time at a local hospital for wounded soldiers, and she tries her best to cheer the men - some younger than herself - who have lost their legs, their hands, or their eyes in this bloody war. Though she feels better helping the wounded, she fears daily that the injuries she tends may one day be inflicted on her dear older brother. And his heart-rending letters describing the terrible death of his friends around him break her heart. In the end, Molly decides that she does not have to agree with the war or the politicians to feel tremendous sympathy for her brother and the wounded she tends at the hospital.

Because this is a book for children, the worst of the American atrocities are not dealt with here. The massacre at My Lai is not mentioned, and I think it is in this book's detriment that very little time is spent on the experience of the Vietnamese population, rather than focusing exclusively on the experience of the American soldiers. However, though I felt that the book would have been even better with the inclusion of this perspective, I still felt that a very even-handed approach was adhered to in describing this difficult period of America history that is so often painted with such a broad brush, with no room for subtlety. When Molly concludes that the war is bad but that many of the veterans are good people caught in a bad situation, we can conclude that a reasonable conclusion has been reached.

As an aside, although not directly related to Vietnam, per se, I was extremely pleased with Molly's occasional notes of blossoming feminism through the novel, such as when Molly notes that one of her uncles recommended she abandon the idea of veterinary school and instead just work at a shelter or a pet store. She wryly notes that had her name been 'Mark' instead of 'Molly', the uncle would not have been so adamant that medical school was no place for her. For parents, there are several graphic letters describing the death of Patrick's fellow soldiers and Molly notes the painful wounds she sees in the veteran's hospital, all of which may be unsettling for very young children.

~ Ana Mardoll

[Emily N · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Where Have All the Flowers Gone” by Ellen Emerson White is a dairy based on a 15 year old girl named Molly Mackenzie Flaherty during the war. At home every morning, Molly would always hear her brother Patrick doing his morning push ups, but one morning that stopped. Patrick decided to join the military and he got stationed in a place called Khe Sanh. After this happened, life at home for the family was mostly awkward and depressing. When Patrick had left, he promised Molly he would send messages as often as he could and if anything had gone wrong, he would send it to Molly’s friends house. For months the family just sat around waiting for letters and watching news reports. One day, starting every single day, there were reports that Khe Sanh was getting bombed very badly by Vietnam which worried everyone. Getting letters from Patrick did not help any to tell if he was alive or not because the letters that he wrote came a week late in the mail. In the meantime, Molly wants to do something to help out with the war, so she applies for a volunteer job at the VA hospital, will she get too attached to the people? Will Patrick survive? Read the book and find out.

My opinion on this book is interesting and informational. I say interesting because the author makes it so the book never gets boring. She does this by setting up a scene and making it seem normal and then all of a sudden something bad happens and it gets intense. The book is also interesting because it is based on a real historical time period and on a real event so you get to learn a lot of things from it. “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” is informational in a good way. This book is non fiction and it tells about a real event that happened but not too much boring detail. I loved this book because of all the insane things that happened but it was sad at times. I did not mind that it was sad because it seemed like after something sad happened, things always got better.

If I were to rate this book on a scale from 1 to 5, it would be a 5. The author did a good amount of description because for a story during the war, she did not mention too much graphic details which is good. The story had a good plot and the order the events happened seemed to fit good together. One thing that I would have changed is the events packed together near the end of the book. Overall, it was a really good book because of the connections people can make with it and it told a great story.

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot Summary:

Molly Flaherty is a young girl on the cusp of 16, living in Boston, Massachusetts in 1967. She is given a diary for christmas one year and begins to tell her story through diary entries. Her older brother, Patrick, has voluntarily enlisted in the U.S. Marines, and is sent to Vietnam. Molly struggles to figure out how to cope with her brother at war, and find balance in this coming of age story.

Main Characters:

Molly Flaherty is fifteen years old and has many of the melodramatic teenage issues that are suffered by all people. She worries about what she wears, who is going to the party this weekend, and which boy she currently thinks is cute. Even though the majority of her concerns in life are shallow, she has found a new interest in politics since her brother’s deployment. She is a very caring and nurturing person, shown to us by the volunteering activity that she chose.

Patrick Flaherty is Molly’s older brother and just recently turned 18. On his birthday, he went down to the Marine’s office to enlist. He was an athletic person, participating in the high school football team, and always tried to stay physically fit. He was next in line to take on the family profession of being a firefighter. Then he is shipped to Vietnam. This book does not elaborate too much on the growth of his character, but he had a very solid, close relationship with his sister, which helped to build the story and tension.

Key Issues: Vietnam, War, Societal Change, Human Rights

Other Interesting Information: I really like the way that this author incorporated what was going on in Patrick’s life and what was going on with Molly’s life. An author could have made this very complex or hard to follow, but this author did not. The sports information was kind of fun filler information, and it showed how sports can be an icebreaker and a coping mechanism. I rated this book 3 out of 5 stars, because I felt that even though the main character was portray to be a teenager, the writing style of the author made you feel that she was much younger. It was a bit contradictory for me in a way. I also did not care for the shallow, cliché teenage drama that was written in. I think the book was okay, but I wouldn’t need it in my classroom in the future.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

My dad was still in the Inactive Reserve when I was little, and one day when I was about 5 I was sitting in the back of the car on a road trip and I heard my parents talking about how he thought he was going to have to deploy to Iraq. They thought I was asleep and didn't hear. I was so scared. Every time I heard the phone ring, I was terrified that it was the government calling him up. I was too scared to ask my parents about it, because I was worried they would say yes, that he did have to go. Years later, my parents were telling my grandma about that time, and I was shocked to hear that they had found out shortly after the conversation that he would not have to go. As I was reading this book, I was about Molly's age, but it still dredged up all those old memories of being a scared little girl. I think that's why I loved this book so much. It was so real. It seemed like a real diary. I just wanted to step into the book.
I liked Teresa, Brenda, and Molly's dad. I wasn't such a fan of Molly's mom. I wished that she hadn't been so secretive about her feminism, hiding it from her husband. Seemed like the author just made the character that way as an opportunity to show people what the typical 'unhappy housewife' was. She just fit too easily into the stereotype.
I really liked Patrick. I read his companion diary and it was pretty good--not as good as I expected, and not as good as this one. But I'm glad I read it, because I liked the chance to know him better. He is cool! And why was he bummed about his nickname? My nickname's Mouse, I think it would be awesome to be called Mighty Mouse! This book made me want a big brother.
Usually I try to choose my favorite parts of a book, but this one just wasn't that type. I liked it all. It was so good. Definitely White's best.

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book in the Dear America series is basically about the Vietnam War and as such deals with events much closer to present time then do most of the other books in the series.

Molly is a typical young girl caught up in trying to figure out what she believes about the Vietnam War and incredibly worried about her brother, Patrick, who is actually fighting in that war.

It's also a book that in a way is very up-to-date since there are obvious parallels to the Iraq war; a country deeply divided, protests over the war, etc. This level of disagreement easily reaches very nasty levels of name-calling and worse.

There's also numerous references to the music and TV of the sixties, and to the problems with various drugs like LSD and marijuana.

There's also reference made to John Kennedy's assassination and what that meant to the country. The killings continued, of course, with Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy, both murders also referred to in the book, along with reference to the riots that took place after Dr. King's assassination.

There are also other things mentioned. Molly gets into trouble in her history class for asking questions that the teacher doesn't really want to answer about Communism. There's even a reference to the budding "women's right's " movement.

As always, there's a historical section added, although I do disagree with the caption given to the photo from Kent State. The caption gives the impression that a student riot led directly into the shots being fired by the National guard , leading to the deaths of four students, although everything else I've ever read about Kent State tends to disagree considerably with that assumption.

In any case, it's still a very well done book and very relevant to our own time.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this is what a diary should read like! Very well done. They had an interesting balancing act in the main character, Molly. In order to make her realistic and help the audience explore the controversies of the era, she had to be an opinionated character. However, opinionated characters can come off as either preachy or unrealistic if not handled with care. In part because of Molly's situation (having a brother she loves in Vietnam while being critical of whether or not American troops should be there), and in part due to the author's deft handling of the narrative, both potential problems are completely averted. A complete storyline was accomplished without coming off as artificial, and there were no major lags where my attention was completely lost. Over all, this was a great read, and my main regret is simply that it took me about a decade after I bought it to actually read it. One small thing I'll note is that the comments at the end of the historical notes (about the US being more cautious about military involvement in the present day) ring with more than a pinch of irony, since the book was published the year before US troops went into Iraq.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know how sometimes you can remember the actual experience of reading a book? Not just the story, but where you read it and what else was going on in your life? When I read this I remember being 12 and reading some of it on the long car ride to Indiana to visit my grandparents and finishing it on the car ride home. I remember my dad was playing the Springsteen album The Rising in the car. I remember after I finished it, I laid down sideways in the backseat and just thought about it until we stopped to eat, maybe at Burger King. I remember how the mom of the girl in the story bought her The Feminine Mystique (and have wanted to read it myself since then) and how she knew her brother was going to be okay again after the war when she heard him lifting weights or doing sit-ups or something in his room. Over ten years later, I still remember all of that.

[Renae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going to have to take a break from the series for a while. This one was particularly good, and I need the others to have a fair shot.

White's heroine Molly is plucky, outspoken, and sassy. I loved where her edges showed and she displays bits of realistic brilliance. In particular, when a somewhat militantly patriotic history teacher sends her to the principal for "espousing Communist ideology" (all she did was ask a serious question about WHY the US was so worried about Communism), she is sardonic and almost flip--exactly what I would expect of a teenager at that time. In fact, she's tempted to retort, "I defy all capitalist imperialists and pledge allegiance to the Tsar!"

Molly is mature and progressive. Good story, solid characters, and well worth the time it took to read.

[Elizabeth Gaskins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book as a kid it kept me on the edge of my seat. I think this whole series of books is really a great set of books for kids. I can remember them having a few in my school's library and then ordering a whole lot more because they were popular.

My favorite part of this book had to be when the last lines said that she knew her brother was okay because of the familiar thud of him rolling onto the floor to do his regular morning push ups.

These really are great books. I encourage parents who want their kids, especially girls, to be interested in reading to use these books and The Royal Diaries books to help if at all possible.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have enjoyed Dear America books all my life. They were amazing starter books for my childhood and definitely helped my continuing interest in history spark early on. As an adult I enjoy reading them because I like to read from the perspective of a child (or young adult) making the ideas and issues presented with simple complications.

I liked Molly's diary better than I thought I would because I usually prefer earlier periods. Molly's voice is clear and decisive. I also read this during a time of unrest where Molly and I experience similar things in our day to day lives. Unfortunately, I did not expect the issues that she faced would still be with us today.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read many of the dear America series and this one is probably my favorite so far. It has been a while since I read it, but I remember loving it. I love the city of Boston, and this story took place at the same time that my dad wad going to Boston college so I could compare her story with those of my father. One of my favorite things about the dear America series is that I can really relate to the charatera necause they are almost always intellectual book worms although sometimes it seems that they are trying to convince the readers who aren't already like that to he like that.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of all the characters in the Dear America series, to me Molly seems the most real. She isn't afraid to speak her mind and she gets into situations that are still relevant today, starting at the beginning of the book through to the end. The disclaimer at the beginning was odd and I am not sure why it was put there but I suppose the author had a good reason, the Vietnam War being as controversial as it was and still is. I also love how they connected her story and her brother's story. Even though I enjoyed this book when I was younger, I think it’s more suited to a high school audience.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another in the Dear America series, and one of the last I wanted to read - I tend to be less interested in things historic that happened during my life-time, especially Vietnam War era things. I remember Vietnam War as a nuisance that interrupted my cartoons and made my parents sad or angry. That being said, this was actually pretty good and I did learn some things about hippies, firemen and the Tet offensive.

[Jennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this after my Molly MacKenzie read it. She was fascinated that this girl had her same name,and that her brother was in Vietnam at the same time that My Molly's grandfather was.

I think of these Dear America books as a step above the American Girl books. They are a little edgier, on a high reading level, and include more mature content. I think these are good little books for older elementary kids who may not be into nonfiction research yet.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This entire series is a wonderful way to learn history or teach it to adolescents. I find today's generations seem to recall more when they learn through other people (pop songs, celebrity gossip, etc.), so what better way to teach history than through someone else's perspective? Yes, "authentic" diaries would be "better", but would the language really hold the modern student's attention? Did the diary writer know what WOULD be important in the context of history? Probably not.

[Ginnie Grant]

For a children's book this was really intense. It makes even an adult think. When a confused molly asks her teachers at school "everyone says communism is bad, but no one will tell me why" and she was sent to the principal I felt it. everyone talks about the war and those who fought, no one talks about the families here who live in fear everyday. This book handled a very touchy subject with honesty and sensitivity.