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Stella Stands Alone
Stella Reid is fighting to save the home she loves. After her father is killed and her mother succumbs to yellow fever, it's up to Stella to run Oak Grove, her family's plantation. Unlike most Southerners, Stella sees herself as equal to the African Americans she works side-by-side with in the cotton fields. The white Southerners reject her, and the freed men can't trust her after generations of enduring the horrors of slavery. So Stella stands alone as she fights to follow through on her father's dream to leave Oak Grove to her and the slaves. His will is nowhere to be found. Now, the bank has foreclosed on the plantation -- and the day of the auction is rapidly approaching. With no legal claim to the land, Stella is confronted with the possibility of losing Oak Grove, the only home she's ever known.
In this inspiring novel, A. LaFaye, winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, recounts a young woman's struggle to save her family's land and preserve their memory, illuminating the harsh realities faced by women and freed slaves during the turbulent years after the Civil War.
In this inspiring novel, A. LaFaye, winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, recounts a young woman's struggle to save her family's land and preserve their memory, illuminating the harsh realities faced by women and freed slaves during the turbulent years after the Civil War.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published May 6, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 17, 2008
There is nothing in this livelong world that I hate more than a dishonest historical novel. I mean it. Thumbtack the words "dishonest historical novel" to a dartboard and watch my aim fly true. I'm sure you know the kind I mean. There are tons of books out there in which a hero or heroine feels strongly about some historical injustice without any rhyme or reason aside from garnering the sympathy of the contemporary reader. Phooey, sayeth I. That is revisionist history and I shall have none of it. So I was unprepared for an author who was, in turn, prepared for a reader like me. Open A. LaFaye's novel Stella Stands Alone and the first sentence to pop off the page is on a page entitled "Wishful Thinking" reading, "You've heard of historical fiction, but you may not know about `alternate history,' which is a special category of historical fiction." LaFaye you clever dog you, you've figured it out! Under normal circumstances authors like to use the old "alternate history" technique to come up with crazy situations like Gary Blackwood's The Year of the Hangman where the British capture George Washington. LaFaye opts for a less brazen concept. What if there had been a single plantation in the south that, after the Civil War, believed in giving reparations to its slaves? It didn't happen, it couldn't have happened, and rather than write a story that blithely asserts that it would have happened LaFaye instead posits a question right from the start asking whether or not it should have happened. The result is a surprisingly gripping tale of a single girl's attempt to hold on to what's hers in an attempt to help others hold onto what's theirs.
When Stella's father died she was in possession of several facts. First, she can talk to God. Or rather, God tells her things. Useful things. Things she can use in her day-to-day life. Second, her father long since paid off the purchase of the plantation Oak Grove, where in this post-Civil War era the African-American workers own their own land and homes. Third, her neighbor Daniel Richardson has the whole county in his pocket and won't rest until Oak Grove can be his as well. Now Stella's parents are both dead, their wills and papers missing, and before the auction of her land it's up to her to find a way to keep it not only operating but also free from the clutches of Mr. Richardson. Even if it means placing her hopes and fears on a Yankee. Even if it means facing up to ugly truths she has ignored for far too long.
Now as I've said before, I can't stand it when a work of historical fiction suddenly decides to trump reality in favor of planting a character with our contemporary values smack dab in the past. It really chaps my hide. And with her little "alternate history" move, LaFaye dodges much of my wrath. I was still wary after I read that first page, though. I envisioned a Pollyanna type of gal taking on racists head-on with spunk and verve. My worries were abated not at all by the blurb on the cover by Pam Munoz Ryan who calls Stella, "a memorable and feisty character." Oop ack. I am a bit tired of feisty characters. But truth be told, Stella isn't exactly feisty. Sure she can wield a gun to shoot Klan members off her lawn, but her personality is this bizarre mix of low-key and softly simmering panic. She doesn't really cut loose until she finds herself being held under another's sway, and even that has the fiery anger of righteous indignation, not the aw-shucks adorableness of a girl with too much spirit. For some reason, it was Stella's off-putting nature that caused her to fit snugly within the era LaFaye constructed for her. She is a freak, and so she fits. If that makes any sense at all.
Read enough girls-who-wear-pants characters in children's literature and they all start to blur together. Is this the one who does cartwheels in overalls on her front lawn or the one who looks enough like a boy that no one ever questions her right to flounce about in trousers? Stella's boyish behavior looks fine and dandy to our contemporary eyes, and indeed usually in these cases the book would end before any serious consideration is made concerning the protagonist's future and place in society. Indeed Stella establishes several times the fact that she has no interest in marriage or anything. But I was intrigued when I discovered that she didn't particularly care about reading. When I say that there's a form and a pattern to these kinds of stories, I'm not kidding. The pants-wearing girl almost always is a bookworm from page one. But Stella bucks this trend right from the start. She is not interested in reading or literature or myths or fables. And so when she is suddenly educated and told to start dressing like a lady of her own era, it's an affront to her and a surprise to us. Stella's wild ways aren't entirely on the up and up? But she's our heroine! How does that work? Just chalk it up to one of a million tiny surprises LaFaye has hidden up her sleeves.
Another concern I had (do you ever get the feeling I read children's historical fiction solely to come up with problems?) was concerning the former slaves in this book. If I've pet peeves against feisty heroines and convenient historical changes, those are nothing against books where a whitte person swoops in to save a whole bunch of innocent black/Hispanic/Asian/American Indian/etc. people who can regard that person as their knight and savior. To my great relief, here was yet ANOTHER potential problem nipped in the bud. Stella is attempting to save her home and those of her family's sharecroppers, but the black people in this book don't trust her as far as they can throw her. And frankly, can you blame them? When it looks like she could profit from their misfortune, particularly in this period of Reconstruction, they are more than willing to believe the worst of her. This disappoints Stella, sure, but any canny reader could see that these people have every reason in the world to regard her with a wary eye. In fact, if it weren't for them she wouldn't be able to convince her Yankee to buy her farm either. This is a story about a partnership born in the most unlikely, yet strangely believable, of circumstances. No mean feat.
I've talked so much about what the book doesn't do that I've hardly left room for what it does do, have I? Well, I will tell you right now that it's a fascinating story. Here we have a pseudo-savant who, like Joan of Arc, can speak to God (and has her own personal relationship to fire as well). The whole holy aspect of the novel could jar terribly with its historical vibe, but LaFaye is careful to not overplay her hand. A canny child reader could just as easily assume that Stella's connection with God is a self-fulfilling prophecy, if they felt so inclined. Her voice is clear and consistent through and through, as are the voices of the people around her. No modern terms or out-of-time slang dog this novel.
If I had any problem with the story I'd have to say that the book is a bit too long. For the first half or so you worry about how Stella will manage to save the farm. For the second half, it's a concern over whether or not she'll be able to keep it in one piece. But at 245 pages it drags at times. LaFaye effectively ratchets up the drama, keeping the reader willing to turn page after page in the hopes of figuring out the solution to Stella's predicament. It just seems as though there are a lot of pages at the start that could have been trimmed a little. From the auction onwards it's all good. It's just that opening that needs getting through.
Historical fiction is no place for the weak. It requires agility, vetting, accuracy, and skill. Talents that A. LaFaye has already exhibited as a Scott O'Dell Award winner and will continue to exploit with her future books, I'm sure. Stella Stands Alone isn't going to grab every reader that passes it, but for the right kind of child it may provide exactly what it is that they're looking for. A book that could easily fly under your radar. Don't allow this one to get away.
Ages 8-12.
When Stella's father died she was in possession of several facts. First, she can talk to God. Or rather, God tells her things. Useful things. Things she can use in her day-to-day life. Second, her father long since paid off the purchase of the plantation Oak Grove, where in this post-Civil War era the African-American workers own their own land and homes. Third, her neighbor Daniel Richardson has the whole county in his pocket and won't rest until Oak Grove can be his as well. Now Stella's parents are both dead, their wills and papers missing, and before the auction of her land it's up to her to find a way to keep it not only operating but also free from the clutches of Mr. Richardson. Even if it means placing her hopes and fears on a Yankee. Even if it means facing up to ugly truths she has ignored for far too long.
Now as I've said before, I can't stand it when a work of historical fiction suddenly decides to trump reality in favor of planting a character with our contemporary values smack dab in the past. It really chaps my hide. And with her little "alternate history" move, LaFaye dodges much of my wrath. I was still wary after I read that first page, though. I envisioned a Pollyanna type of gal taking on racists head-on with spunk and verve. My worries were abated not at all by the blurb on the cover by Pam Munoz Ryan who calls Stella, "a memorable and feisty character." Oop ack. I am a bit tired of feisty characters. But truth be told, Stella isn't exactly feisty. Sure she can wield a gun to shoot Klan members off her lawn, but her personality is this bizarre mix of low-key and softly simmering panic. She doesn't really cut loose until she finds herself being held under another's sway, and even that has the fiery anger of righteous indignation, not the aw-shucks adorableness of a girl with too much spirit. For some reason, it was Stella's off-putting nature that caused her to fit snugly within the era LaFaye constructed for her. She is a freak, and so she fits. If that makes any sense at all.
Read enough girls-who-wear-pants characters in children's literature and they all start to blur together. Is this the one who does cartwheels in overalls on her front lawn or the one who looks enough like a boy that no one ever questions her right to flounce about in trousers? Stella's boyish behavior looks fine and dandy to our contemporary eyes, and indeed usually in these cases the book would end before any serious consideration is made concerning the protagonist's future and place in society. Indeed Stella establishes several times the fact that she has no interest in marriage or anything. But I was intrigued when I discovered that she didn't particularly care about reading. When I say that there's a form and a pattern to these kinds of stories, I'm not kidding. The pants-wearing girl almost always is a bookworm from page one. But Stella bucks this trend right from the start. She is not interested in reading or literature or myths or fables. And so when she is suddenly educated and told to start dressing like a lady of her own era, it's an affront to her and a surprise to us. Stella's wild ways aren't entirely on the up and up? But she's our heroine! How does that work? Just chalk it up to one of a million tiny surprises LaFaye has hidden up her sleeves.
Another concern I had (do you ever get the feeling I read children's historical fiction solely to come up with problems?) was concerning the former slaves in this book. If I've pet peeves against feisty heroines and convenient historical changes, those are nothing against books where a whitte person swoops in to save a whole bunch of innocent black/Hispanic/Asian/American Indian/etc. people who can regard that person as their knight and savior. To my great relief, here was yet ANOTHER potential problem nipped in the bud. Stella is attempting to save her home and those of her family's sharecroppers, but the black people in this book don't trust her as far as they can throw her. And frankly, can you blame them? When it looks like she could profit from their misfortune, particularly in this period of Reconstruction, they are more than willing to believe the worst of her. This disappoints Stella, sure, but any canny reader could see that these people have every reason in the world to regard her with a wary eye. In fact, if it weren't for them she wouldn't be able to convince her Yankee to buy her farm either. This is a story about a partnership born in the most unlikely, yet strangely believable, of circumstances. No mean feat.
I've talked so much about what the book doesn't do that I've hardly left room for what it does do, have I? Well, I will tell you right now that it's a fascinating story. Here we have a pseudo-savant who, like Joan of Arc, can speak to God (and has her own personal relationship to fire as well). The whole holy aspect of the novel could jar terribly with its historical vibe, but LaFaye is careful to not overplay her hand. A canny child reader could just as easily assume that Stella's connection with God is a self-fulfilling prophecy, if they felt so inclined. Her voice is clear and consistent through and through, as are the voices of the people around her. No modern terms or out-of-time slang dog this novel.
If I had any problem with the story I'd have to say that the book is a bit too long. For the first half or so you worry about how Stella will manage to save the farm. For the second half, it's a concern over whether or not she'll be able to keep it in one piece. But at 245 pages it drags at times. LaFaye effectively ratchets up the drama, keeping the reader willing to turn page after page in the hopes of figuring out the solution to Stella's predicament. It just seems as though there are a lot of pages at the start that could have been trimmed a little. From the auction onwards it's all good. It's just that opening that needs getting through.
Historical fiction is no place for the weak. It requires agility, vetting, accuracy, and skill. Talents that A. LaFaye has already exhibited as a Scott O'Dell Award winner and will continue to exploit with her future books, I'm sure. Stella Stands Alone isn't going to grab every reader that passes it, but for the right kind of child it may provide exactly what it is that they're looking for. A book that could easily fly under your radar. Don't allow this one to get away.
Ages 8-12.
December 12, 2021
I have never read a reconstruction era novel and this one had all the THINGS. Plus, as the author wrote in the foreward, it was a reimagining of what could be had black and white people worked together after the war. There was the freedman bureau, carpet baggers, runaway slaves, freed slaves, angry white men, KKK, lynching, hoop skirts, "proper" society, Yankees, misunderstandings, good intentions gone wrong, corruption of policies, yellow fever. In other words, it was a real portrayal of what could have been. It helped take all that political stuff I've been reading and put it into context. Of course it's fiction and there are some literary structures to help move the story along, but I highly recommend for Reconstruction context.
July 29, 2018
i got stuck on this book for a while and I'm not sure why. Finally today I finished it and I'm still not sure why I got stuck. i guess it's partly because I still can't completely envision the narrator. The author does a great job of not underestimating the reader, but the voice is kind of ... too full of references to God for me. And something else I still can't put my finger on. Still, fascinating concept. Really fascinating. I'm glad I read it.
October 21, 2020
This is one of those books that I had picked up more than once but never went past the first few chapters. I decided I was going to read it at least halfway through. Once I made it to the middle of the book, I couldn't put it down. Especially, during this time of "Black Lives Matter", this book had an impact. By the end of it, I was attached to the characters and wanting their story to continue.
July 9, 2024
DNF. I'm sorry but this book is so hard to grasp especially the dialogue of each character that my brain wants me to stop reading it. I did my best and I left it on page 128. I don't think any middle schooler will enjoy this. Also I love history even the fictional/alternative ones but Stella Stands Alone is not my cup of tea.
Plot: An orphan girl who lost her parents and needs to find a way to claim Oak Grove or else the place is on sale. Not all people trust her (being white).
Plot: An orphan girl who lost her parents and needs to find a way to claim Oak Grove or else the place is on sale. Not all people trust her (being white).
August 22, 2017
Interesting premise, interesting characters but for some reason, I didn't really enjoy the actual reading of it.
October 17, 2017
Really good, other than a little language.
November 3, 2020
I thought that this story had a good plot, though I did not finish it. I had a hard time getting into it because of the constant change in tenses from the accents that the characters have.
June 11, 2021
I liked it. I'm not one for historical fiction unless it's ancient and/or has supernatural aspects, but I enjoyed reading this alternate history story.
April 4, 2024
An amazing book with a wonderful inspiring ending!
August 27, 2020
I haven't read an alternate historical fiction book in while. This book didn't disappointment. It would be a good fit middle school age kids.
January 10, 2009
NO for black-eyed susan.
NO for our library.
Let's get a couple things out in the open to begin with. First, I'm a slow reader. I hope that one day reading book after book will make me a faster reader, but for now it is what it is. Second, I try my hardest to put myself in the position of my students when reading books for our library, determinedly considering "How long would I stick with this story before putting it down?"
Stella Stands Alone has gotten a great deal of positive attention. A. LaFaye previously won the Scott O'Dell Award for Worth and this book, set in the south during the Civil War era, seemed promising. Of it's 245 pages I only read to page 30, to the start of a chapter entitled "Going to a Meeting".
Now, I know that 30 pages is nothing, but when reading through the first few chapters in a book for children feels like a labored task, I just need to come to terms that this isn't the right book for me. Is it the right book for students in grades 4-6 (the book award I'm reading for)? I don't think they would stick with Stella either. Not that the idea of the story isn't one that could hook students (that a white girl living on a plantation is upset at the way the african american slaves are treated), but just that the delivery was missing the "hook" that pulls young readers into the book... the reason why we care for the character... why we want to read on at all.
NO for our library.
Let's get a couple things out in the open to begin with. First, I'm a slow reader. I hope that one day reading book after book will make me a faster reader, but for now it is what it is. Second, I try my hardest to put myself in the position of my students when reading books for our library, determinedly considering "How long would I stick with this story before putting it down?"
Stella Stands Alone has gotten a great deal of positive attention. A. LaFaye previously won the Scott O'Dell Award for Worth and this book, set in the south during the Civil War era, seemed promising. Of it's 245 pages I only read to page 30, to the start of a chapter entitled "Going to a Meeting".
Now, I know that 30 pages is nothing, but when reading through the first few chapters in a book for children feels like a labored task, I just need to come to terms that this isn't the right book for me. Is it the right book for students in grades 4-6 (the book award I'm reading for)? I don't think they would stick with Stella either. Not that the idea of the story isn't one that could hook students (that a white girl living on a plantation is upset at the way the african american slaves are treated), but just that the delivery was missing the "hook" that pulls young readers into the book... the reason why we care for the character... why we want to read on at all.
June 26, 2012
I did not complete the book. I may resume reading it in future, but I will make a comment at this time.
I believe the intent of the story simply becomes stalled by the effect of the language here. These stereotypical speech patterns are in every sentence the character speaks or thinks. The speech of the main character Stella is so stereotyped that I find it unreadable. Mississippians do not speak this way today nor did they yesterday. Characters on comedy television shows such as The Beverly Hillbillies DO speak this way, if you get my point. By the 21st century, maybe we should be presenting the cultural truth of the Mid-South in a better way. I think young people who have only a vague idea of the Mid-Southern United States will retain the wrong undertones from reading the speech of this character.
"To pull my mind away from the sorrow that held it, I set to my log-writing duties. Since the days when Great-Granddaddy Hiram kept him a log.....every Reid done kept a log on the place. Daddy'd buy himself a fine book of smooth paper and leather binding....even drew him some maps." (Maybe I am wrong, but I understand that the character is from a family who would have had educational opportunities and would have at least lived within a well-spoken society. This is supposed to be the Natchez area?)
I believe the intent of the story simply becomes stalled by the effect of the language here. These stereotypical speech patterns are in every sentence the character speaks or thinks. The speech of the main character Stella is so stereotyped that I find it unreadable. Mississippians do not speak this way today nor did they yesterday. Characters on comedy television shows such as The Beverly Hillbillies DO speak this way, if you get my point. By the 21st century, maybe we should be presenting the cultural truth of the Mid-South in a better way. I think young people who have only a vague idea of the Mid-Southern United States will retain the wrong undertones from reading the speech of this character.
"To pull my mind away from the sorrow that held it, I set to my log-writing duties. Since the days when Great-Granddaddy Hiram kept him a log.....every Reid done kept a log on the place. Daddy'd buy himself a fine book of smooth paper and leather binding....even drew him some maps." (Maybe I am wrong, but I understand that the character is from a family who would have had educational opportunities and would have at least lived within a well-spoken society. This is supposed to be the Natchez area?)
September 30, 2010
Taking place post-Civil War, this book is the story of Stella Reid and her fight to maintain her family's plantation for herself and for the people who have worked on it for generations. It was her father's dream before dying to deed the land to those who worked on it, but Stella struggles to figure out where he could have left the documents that are so vital to saving the plantation before it goes up for auction. Will she be able to pull through on her and her father's promise to the workers despite the opposition coming in on all sides? Facing challenges and adversity at every turn, Stella shows courage and enduring faith few can ever hope for.
Although this may be a slower read for young adults, the book has a scattering of simple yet poignant passages. Stella's southern voice is true to the time and setting. My one big qualm with the book is that it never stated Stella's age so the whole time I didn't know if she was 10 years old or 17 years old. She looks like she is 6 on the cover so I couldn't figure out how such a little girl was doing such big girl things. Good book, but might be hard for some readers to become invested.
Although this may be a slower read for young adults, the book has a scattering of simple yet poignant passages. Stella's southern voice is true to the time and setting. My one big qualm with the book is that it never stated Stella's age so the whole time I didn't know if she was 10 years old or 17 years old. She looks like she is 6 on the cover so I couldn't figure out how such a little girl was doing such big girl things. Good book, but might be hard for some readers to become invested.
Read
August 1, 2011Age: YA
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Diversity: Race/ethnicity, income, gender
Illustrations: None
Personal Response: While I enjoyed this story and categorized it as realistic fiction, I'm not sure that the main character is very realistic. The situations she finds herself in and the prevailing attitudes of the post-Civil War south towards both African Americans and Northeners do seem very believable.
Curriculum: This would be a great book to use as supplemental or required reading in a class unit about the Civil War, its aftermath and race relations in the United States.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Diversity: Race/ethnicity, income, gender
Illustrations: None
Personal Response: While I enjoyed this story and categorized it as realistic fiction, I'm not sure that the main character is very realistic. The situations she finds herself in and the prevailing attitudes of the post-Civil War south towards both African Americans and Northeners do seem very believable.
Curriculum: This would be a great book to use as supplemental or required reading in a class unit about the Civil War, its aftermath and race relations in the United States.
September 30, 2010
If Southerners had played by different rules.... Stella is only 12, orphaned, and trying to run the plantation by treating the slaves as her friends. A greedy neighbor and a dishonest banker try to take it all away and send Stella packing to a distant aunt. Stella has different plans and they don't include leaving her home.
March 18, 2009
Remarkable for voice (had me talkin' Southern for days), characterization, and historical interest. I don't know if there really were any utopian plantations like Stella's, but there should have been! Strong and vivid with some unexpected twists--the best book I've read so far this year.
July 23, 2016
Stella Stands Alone - I thought I was going to love this book as it was supposedly Historical Fiction after the Civil War. This book is riddled with wrong information and just painful to read. Save your time & put the book down. Walk away from this one---trust me, you will thank me later.
October 7, 2010
Although I enjoyed this alternate history I think that the voice of the book will be difficult to read by the age group for which it is written.
April 9, 2011
Truly the first 100 pages of this book were hard to get in to, but the final 150 or so were great. I enjoyed the book overall and would love to reccommend it.
June 23, 2011
really disliked this book. I didn't care a fig for the characters and the narrative was boring. I read the first 50 pages and then skimmed the rest of the book.
October 25, 2021
Good story. Cute, spunky, resourceful heroine. Interesting twist on how things would have been if history can be rewritten. Not historically factual but made good fiction.
Read
October 17, 2008this one my favorite books
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews