Pride of the Peacock

Grade 6-9 Thirteen-year-old Whitney is an avid reader of disaster tales, imagining herself in the midst of fires, floods or tornadoes, but she is not prepared for Jonathan Schell's Fate of the Earth. The knowledge that nuclear war would bring total destruction leaves her feeling numb, but no one seems to understand or share her feeling of helplessness. Her father tells her that she must learn to live with uncertainty; her friend Paul finds his answers in science fiction futures; and best friend Allie is too involved in her first romance to pay any attention. None of their advice stops the nightmares Whitney suffers, so she begins to fill her life with busy work, trying to force out the terrifying images. She is drawn to an old estate and its new owner, sculptor Theodora Bourke, and finds solace of a sort in helping Theodora recreate the garden and admiring the peacock that parades the grounds. She gradually learns that Theodora is struggling also, trying to make sense of her husband's violent death at the hands of a hoodlum gang. Theodora's acceptance and understanding of Whitney's feelings help her find alternatives to despair. The story is well-written, and Whitney is a sympathetic character, but it is questionable if many young readers will share the intensity of her reaction to nuclear war or will have the patience to read all of her inner thoughts on the matter. The book explores the variety of rationales that people have developed to deal with the continuing threat of nuclear destruction and would be useful for group discussion or for young people who do share Whitney's despair over the issue. Eleanor K. MacDonald, University Elementary School Library, Los Angeles
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Tolan's novel stands out as admirably written, unsensationalized, even lightened by humor although the subject is "the unthinkable." Whitney Whitehurst (14) thinks of nothing else but the chances of nuclear war when she reads Jonathan Schell's The Fate of the Earth. The menace hangs over the girl's head as she hugs her dear little brother, contemplating his annihilation, the destruction of the planet and of all life. Whitney gets no assurance from friends or family; she half-listens to her pal Paul, who advises her to join anitwar groups. The two visit a favorite spot from childhood, an abandoned estate in ruins where they are surprised to see a peacock. Later, Whitney meets sculptor Theodora Bourke, who has brought the old house and grounds. She's planning to restore the place and Whitney helps. As they labor to clear the overgrown garden, Theodora tells about her struggle to carry on after her husband was murdered in the city that she has fled, to start over in a new town. Whitney, Paul and Theodora become close, providing each other with the hope symbolized in the decision to give the peacock a mate: Life does go on.
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc.