Historical Fiction, an alternative to the textbook

It's a question that you hear a lot, "how do you get kids interested in history?" The history that I learned in elementary and high school was your typical Rich White Man History, and I have to admit, it was boring and irrelevant to my life. I have given considerable thought to how I became interested in history and came to the conclusion that it was the things I experienced outside of school that piqued my interest in this subject, like reading books, visiting pioneer villages, and watching movies. This blog will deal with my three favourite historical fiction books from when I was a tween. In later entries I will discuss my favourite historical travel destinations and movies.

1) The King's Daughter by Suzanne Martel
Published by Groundwood Books, 1974.

Martel tells the story of an orphaned French girl, Jeanne Chatel, who becomes a King's Daughter, travels to New France and marries a French settler. I enjoyed (and still do) reading this book because of all the adventures Jeanne has while attempting to settle in what is now Quebec. She first faces a treacherous cross-Atlantic journey, and once in New France she has to suddenly adjust to the responsibilities of raising two step-children with a new husband she barely knows, who is often away. This book is unique because it is told from the female point-of-view when most histories of this time come from the male inhabitants. It proves that women also came to North America looking for adventures.

2) The Dark Tower by Sharon Stewart
Published by Scholastic, 1998.

This is another novel about a girl living in France, and although she tries to escape the country with her family, she is not so lucky. Stewart based this book on the journal written by Marie Therese Charlotte de France, the oldest child of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Reading this book was my first introduction to the French Revolution. I became familiar with some of the causes and key players of the revolution. This novel also does a good job of dispelling some of the myths surrounding the French Revolution, especially in regards to Marie Antoinette. Stewart does a good job showing what it might have been like to be a member of the royal family living in Versailles and during the French Revolution.



3) Spying on Miss Muller
Published by Fawcett Juniper, 1995

In this novel, Bunting explores the lives of four girls living and learning in an Irish boarding school during the Second World War. The students suspect that their German language teacher is a spy for the Nazis and attempt to catch her in the act. The book reflects what many people living in Britain experienced during WWII; air raids, family members enlisting in the army, and suspicion of German people now living in the UK. Even though the war was going on, the girls still had experiences that I could relate to as a tween in elementary school.

Now, you may have noticed that these books all have female protagonists. I was obviously biased towards books about girls when I was younger, which is understandable... it was the age of the Spice Girls and Girl Power, and I wasn't learning about females in my history classes at school. Aside from The Dark Tower, these novels also deal with middle to low class characters whose names will not appear in history books. Because I read these books as a youth I discovered that women and so-called "common" people had a role in history and to me, their stories and experiences were more intriguing than those of the Rich White Men.

The Debate Continues... and it just got a lot sexier

Nymag.com is reporting that Amazon has come out with a new version of the Kindle, a gadget that can store multiple digital copies of books etc. which are are then read on a screen. Apparently the Kindle 2 has lost some weight, however still not water proof leaving bathtub readers out of luck.

I have to admit, the concept of having 1,500 books stored in one "book" is appealing, especially since I like to read several books at one time. But, as the person who lives below me can probably attest, I drop things a lot. I also misplace things and spill beverages a lot. Many of my books are stained with coffee, chocolate, and toothpaste (I like to read while brushing my teeth). For me, purchasing a Kindle 2 just doesn't make sense. Yet I can see this option as becoming popular with groups of people who travel a lot and are accustomed to reading things on screens for long periods of time. Having some extra cash might also be necessary for the $359 (US) price tag.

Buyer be wary

People love buying old stuff then finding out it's worth a small fortune. Antiques Roadshow successfully cashes in on this premise. People bring in crap from their attics or basements that they bought for $1 at a flea market, which their spouses absolutely despise because of it's gaudy colour and vulgar depictions, to find out that it could pay for a Mediterranean Cruise.

Well something similar has happened to a Quebec man. According to a story on CBC.ca, Bobby Rouillard bought an old looking hockey stick for $3,000 to find out that the wood the hockey stick is made from dates between 1633 and 1666. Rouillard plans to sell it on eBay, hopefully to an NHL player, and is starting the bidding at $1 million dollars because he believes that it is the oldest hockey stick in the world.

If any NHL players or extreme hockey memorabilia collectors read this blog, I beg of you not to buy this stick. As the CBC points out, just because the wood is that old does not mean the stick is as well. If my archaeological classes have taught me anything, it's that certain environments are ideal for preserving very old pieces of wood. Anyone in the mid-1800s could have found a chunk of this wood in a forest or bog and made the stick.

Also, carbon dating isn't 100% accurate. A number of things could have happened to the wood to produce an incorrect or misleading date (I can't remember the specifics because I don't have my North American Archaeology notes with me).

So Ovechkin, just because you have some cash to throw around, don't go buying this stick believing it dates to the 17th century, thus totally changing the history of hockey. Just because the wood may or may not be old, doesn't mean the stick is as well.

*Photo courtesy of zimbio.com

Vikings... A Heritage Tourism fad that I can get behind

I have always been interested in Vikings. It may be because of my last name (Leifso --> Leif Eiriksson- see the connection?) or because over the years I have realized how complicated and often misunderstood Vikings are. In undergrad, as a Bioarchaeology and History Major, every opportunity I got, I wrote an essay about Vikings: their actions in Britian, evidence of Norse settlement in what is now Canada, and exploring the possibility of contact between Viking explorers and Natives in the Arctic. It is my dream to one day visit L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland.

In a recent Digital History class, I proclaimed that Vikings are destined to enter the realm of popular culture, much like pirates. Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism seems to agree with me and have created a new commercial promoting L'Anse aux Meadows. Or if that doesn't peak your interest, view the exciting Heritage Minute.

Upon further googling there are a lot of interesting Viking destinations.

For those willing to cross the pond, there is a cool museum/archaeological dig in York called the Jorvik Viking Centre. There is even a Viking toilet!

If visiting the UK isn't your thing, check out the Viking Ship Museum in Denmark, which features "five original 11th-century Viking ships.

If you want to see and learn more about Vikings (and why wouldn't you?) brush up on your Norwegian and head on over to Oslo, Norway to check out their Viking Ship Museum. (The website is predominately in Norwegian, the English site is under construction but temporary English links are available.)

There are still myths and misconceptions surrounding Viking adventures and activities that historians and archaeologists continue to unravel. As a result numerous archaeological sites and museums have been created to help dispel the sometimes [I'm not going to deny there wasn't some raping or pillaging] unwarranted negativity that surrounds these naval geniuses.

Come play on my island...

If you know me or happen to be in some of my classes at UWO, you are aware of my slightly unhealthy obsession with Road to Avonlea. I watched this show every Sunday with my mother and siblings since it first started in 1990 until it ended in 1996. I grew up with the King family and fell in love with Arthur Pettibone. My obsession was rekindled this past fall when A Channel began re-airing the show every Saturday at 7pm (I encourage you to watch, despite what I may say below).

There are many reasons why I enjoy the show: the hi jinx, the romance, the plot twists and turns (Gus Pike is dead! Gus Pike is alive!), the comedy, and the good feeling I get after finishing an episode. It also makes me feel nostalgic for a time that I never lived in. I am taking a Social Memory class this term and we talk a lot about nostalgia- what is it? How can we be nostalgic for a time and place we know barely anything about? If someone would have asked me last fall if I would like to live in the small village of Avonlea on Prince Edward Island, when Canada was on the cusp of the twentieth century, I'm sure I would have said yes. The show makes island life seem exciting and more simple. Then I experienced a power outage over the Christmas break.

I live in a drafty farm house, we depend on well water, which requires electricity and even when the hydro is on my bedroom barely reaches 15C in the winter. Nights without an electric blanket were almost unbearable if it weren't for the 7 blankets, 2 pairs of socks, flannel pj pants, 4 shirts (of varying sleeve length), and pair of gloves I was wearing. Then I realized how absolutely marvellous and majestic indoor plumbing was. I like taking a bath in a bathroom, not in the middle of the kitchen, like Alec King had to do in a recent episode of RTA, with elderly Aunt Eliza looking over his shoulder. I didn't even spend a full 24 hours in my new found "pioneerdom"; I went to the vacant apartment above my dad's office so I could delight in the luxury of warm, running water.

So what originally made me nostalgic for early 20th century Canadian living? Well, it was brought up in class that nostalgia has this unique characteristic in that it allows you to transform it in your mind to fit your ideals and agenda. When I watched RTA I saw kids who ran around causing trouble, and were busy attending socials and parties. I ignored the fact that they had to use outhouses (get that rope ready for the winter so you don't lose yourself in the snow), perform manual farm labour without tractors, and only be able to attend school until the 8th grade.

But I have one question, as Public Historians of the 21st century, is it our responsibility to, so to speak, slap reality back into "history", "heritage", and "nostalgia", or is it better to let people believe that PEI in the early 20th century wasn't such a bad place to be (if you were a member of the upper middle class like the King family, and didn't have to go work in the cannery)?

*Photos courtesy of www.roadtoavonlea.com
Picture at top: Felicity King and Gus Pike
Bottom: A show down between Arthur Pettibone and Gus Pike- it's all so very romantic

Winter Blahs

Now is the perfect time to start researching family history. The snow and cold prevent you from leaving your house, so what are you suppose to do? Some people who have some time on their hands, an internet connection, and basic computer skills (I'm looking at you recently retired Baby Boomers) will attempt to do some exploration into their family history. I recently read in the December 2008/January 2009 edition of The Beaver" about a website designed to help people do just that. The new Roots webpage features "... past Roots columns, links to provincial genealogy sites, plus a forum where you can ask questions and discuss genealogy- related issues and topics," according to the Editor's note by Mark Reid. I decided to check out the site and see how useful it could be to the amateur genealogist.

Since the site was only recently established, there are only 99 registered members. To be able to fully benefit you would have to register on the website. But once you are a member you can post questions and answers on the forum, join and create groups, write a blog, post pictures, and create events. Since there are not a lot of members, the website is seeing little action, but hopefully over time this will change.

The best thing about this website, in my opinion, is the forum. So far, people have posted what aspect of history they are interested in, what they are researching, and various genealogical-type questions. So far, people have been pretty good writing back responses, offering advice and answering questions. However, the forum seems to lack organization. It does not organize posts by themes, and if site activity and the use of the forum increases, it could become very difficult to find a certain thread or topic.

The "Group" part of the website also has the potential to unite families and allow them to pool information. But I did not see the promised "Links" page, unless they consider the Google ad to be sufficient.

I predict that if this site grows, by adding links and more members, it could prove to be very useful to amateur Canadian genealogists who are looking for a little help or a good place to start research.

"I'm Mike from Canmore..."

One of the greatest Canadian television (and radio) shows ended this past New Years Eve. Since 1993 my family has made a point to watch Royal Canadian Air Farce since it started airing on CBC in 1993 (although I believe the first show technically aired on New Years Eve 1992). Watching this show made me the most politically informed student in my gr. 6 class. It helped to teach me the different between all the many political parties and helped me to identify important Canadian and world figures. This is why I hope that this show does not become forgotten. I believe that various shows can be used to teach students in a fun memorable, yet educational way, about Canadian political and social history. How else can you get people to remember that Preston Manning was the leader of the 'Rrrrrrrrrreeeefooorrrrrm party"?

One March Break, my family even went to a taping of the show in Toronto. After the show everyone in the audience had the opportunity to go down to the stage and talk with the cast and the special guest that night, who happened to be Ron Maclean. That night I learned from John Morgan, who played Mike from Canmore, that Mike doesn't know how to write, and when he signs an autograph he writes an "X".

A simple search of the CBC Archives reveals several television clips that are definitely worth checking out.