Before The Lark

by Irene Bennett Brown

In 1888, hard-working twelve-year-old Jocey Royal, tormented because of a disfiguring harelip, takes her invalid grandmother to live on the Kansas farm that her drifter father has abandoned.

Genres: Historical

174 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1982

About the author

I was born in Topeka, Kansas but from the age of nine, Oregon’s Willamette Valley has been home. As a child in one-room schools where I was often the only student in my class, I read, reread, and lived vicariously books like HEIDI, CADDIE WOODLAWN, MAMA’S BANK ACCOUNT, and LITTLE WOMEN. Jo in LITTLE WOMEN and Katrin in MAMA’S BANK ACCOUNT, writing away in their dusky attics, fueled my own dream to be a writer.

Author William Least Heat Moon is surely correct when he says “our passions at age 12 will always be with us and indicate our intended career.”

A writer who can’t not write, I pounded out my first seven books on a manual typewriter borrowed from a neighbor. Payoff for sore arms from throwing the carriage was national publication of my children’s books: in hardcover by Atheneum, E.P. Dutton, Thomas Nelson and David McKay, and in paperback book club editions by Viking Penguin, Scholastic, and Junior Literary Guild. Awards and honors include a Spur Award from Western Writers Of America and nomination for the Mark Twain Award for BEFORE THE LARK, the Evelyn Sibley Lampman Award for significant contribution to children’s literature, and inclusion on several best books’ lists.

THE PLAINSWOMAN, published originally by Ballantine, was my first novel for adults and a Western Writers Of America Spur Award finalist. Other novels include my Women Of Paragon Springs series from Five Star Cengage: LONG ROAD TURNING, BLUE HORIZONS, NO OTHER PLACE, and REAP THE SOUTH WIND. A love story set in Oregon’s Hells Canyon, HAVEN, a single title, was also published by Five Star. My historical novel, THE BARGAIN, was released by my own company, Riveredge Books, in 2007. WHERE GABLE SLEPT, the first book in my Celia Landrey mystery series, followed in 2010 and WHERE DANGER DANCED in 2012. All are now published by Riveredge Books and are also available as Kindle and Nook ebooks.

When not following my favorite pursuits, writing and reading, you’ll find me enjoying travel and exploring historic places with my husband, Bob, a retired research chemist, and spending time with our growing and busy family.

Reviews

[Jim Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up Before the Lark mainly because I saw it had some similarities to my own young adult novel As the River Flows. After some initial frustrations with the book, I ultimately decided our novels were not too dissimilar and that I liked Brown’s tale of a spunky disabled teen who forges her own future. Brown’s novel is set in 1888 and concerns a young girl, Jocey, who is born with a harelip and is living with her laundress grandmother in Kansas City. Their life is hard and Joycee longs for two things: To be reunited with her father, who disappeared after her mother died, and to move to their family farm near Council Grove in the middle of the state. She finally convinces her grandmother to leave the city and they travel by wagon to the farm. The grandmother is a strange character and I never was convinced that she was real, more an artificial source of frustration put forward by the author for Joycee to overcome. She is unlike any 19th century grandmother I’ve seen in fiction, and their interactions and roles seem far too modern to me. Initially the grandmother refuses to do any work on the farm. Joycee, who is 12-13 years old, is left cultivating 15 acres of land, cooking all the meals, doing the laundry, buying all supplies, selling the produce, and taking care of the farm animals. And financially they seem to do ok, even though there can be very little money coming in. I’m not sure if the author has ever lived on a farm (I grew up on one) and this strained credibility for me. However, I did appreciate that Joycee is a strong willed, independent, resourceful and hard-working teen, much like my Tom Fitzgerald in ATRF. She is extremely likeable, the story moves along at a great pace, and Brown is gifted as a writer.

[Doranne Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this Young Adult historical novel by Irene Bennett Brown. Irene skillfully merges American history from the late 1880's into her story. I especially appreciated the forward written by Pamela Riney-Kehrberg, which reminded me of how our current youth are unaware of life in the "old days."

[Jo Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Born in 1876, Jocelyn Belle Royal lives with problems that few modern American children can imagine, and emotions that resonate today. Her mother died and her father drifted out of her life, so the girl lives with, and labors for, her washerwoman grandmother in Kansas City, Missouri. Jocey was born with a cleft lip; a flaw which can easily be repaired now, but in 1888 she can only endure feeling that her appearance repels everyone around her. She drops out of school before she was twelve because of a problem too common in today’s headlines – bullying by her classmates.

Dreaming that she can reconnect with her father by moving back to the abandoned family farm in Kansas, Jocey also hopes to escape her tormentors on their isolated land. She persuades her sickly grandmother to move there, and then with boundless determination and hard work, brings the ramshackle farm back to life. In the process, Jocey finds new friends, begins to trust and love her neighbors, and also learns that even the worst parts of life can be changed for the better.

Before the Lark, the Spur Award-winning book by Irene Bennett Brown, is a historical novel for young readers. First published in 1982, it is a tale of a bold girl, and her unwavering belief that hard work and persistence can improve her family’s lot in life. Jocey’s faith and grit will appeal to Brown’s readers and provide inspiration to children who also face disapproval and disappointment.

Jo Ann Butler (previously published in Historical Novels Review)
joann@rebelpuritan.com

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little story about a girl born with a harelip in the slums of Kansas City--and how she survives. In her desire to get away from the humanity who hurts her so much, she drags her invalid grandmother to her father's (he's missing) farm in Kansas and just digs right in and begins farming.

She's an incredibly hard worker and has a lot of drive to make her little farm go. She also learns that not everyone will hate her because of her deformity. Those are the things that make the book special.

It was a good story, I think young girls would like it. I gave it four stars though because the ending just fell a little flat. I'll not give it away, but it just left you without the "that was wonderful" feeling at the end. Even so, it would be a good addition to the girl's list.

[Rozi Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the very first books I can remember reading....pretty much sealed my fate as an avid reader. I have never forgotten the courage that this girl showed. Great book!!!

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic Bennett Brown! Ending was predictable, but I liked the story line. A little slow in some parts, but a delightful story.

[Cws]

JF-YABro