Come Juneteenth

While the Union and the Confederacy are warring against each other in America, President Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation. But Texans keep their enslaved laborers from hearing about it, a fact that will impact Luli Holcomb and the sister she never thought of as a slave in Come Juneteenth by author Ann Rinaldi.

This is my first time reading this author since back in my teens, when her novels matured and sharpened my taste for historical fiction, especially concerning American history.

Knowing the kind of hard-hitting and poignant young adult stories Rinaldi can deliver, I probably should have been better prepared emotionally for this story of injustice, violence, and human relationships. Although my interest in the read waned show more here and there, the parts that got me, got me.

Now, it's important to know this isn't a story told from the perspective of African American characters, and it isn't about a big Juneteenth celebration. Nor is it a simplistic, romantic painting of the Civil War and Reconstruction that depicts all white Yankees as completely good and noble and all white Southerners as completely wicked and backward. Rather, it's a story of flawed human beings and what happens when you have to face where you, and other people in the place you fondly call home, have been profoundly wrong.

This is a tragic novel. Still, it has glimmers of hope for healing and learning from the past. show less

I love many of Ann Rinaldi's books, but sadly I didn't feel the same for this one. In my opinion, this is one of her weaker stories.

Sis Goose is a beloved member of Luli's family, despite the fact that she was born a slave. But the family is harboring a terrible secret. And when Union soldiers arrive on their Texas plantation to announce that slaves have been declared free for nearly two years, Sis Goose is horrified to learn that the people she called family have lied to her for so long. She runs away--but her newly found freedom has tragic consequences.

How could the state of Texas keep the news of the Emancipation Proclamation from reaching slaves? In this riveting Great Episodes historical drama, Ann Rinaldi sheds light on the events that led to the creation of Juneteenth, a celebration of freedom that continues today.

-Amazon description

Jennifer Corbett
EDCI 4120

Rinaldi, Ann (2007). Come Juneteenth. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc.

Grade Levels: 7-12
Category: Historical Fiction
Read-Alouds: pp. 1-10 (Prologue); pp. 90-100 (Chapter 12); pp.204-222 (Chapter 25-26); pp. 223-233 (Epilogue)

Summary: Sis Goose was given to Lulu’s Aunt Sophie, by her real mother before she died. As a child Lulu and her family raised Sis Goose as another one of their daughters but legally Sis Goose was a slave. While living with Lulu and her family, Sis Goose was kept from knowing that slavery had been later abolished. When Sis Goose finds out that out she was free, she leaves Lulu’s family and goes to stay with a Yankee solider. When Lulu’s brother comes home from war he goes to claim Sis Goose show more because he was in love with her. But while rescuing Sis Goose she is shot and dies.

Themes: One theme of this story was the abolishing of slavery. Even though the slaves were free the owners didn’t let on that they were free until June 19, 1865 when General Gordon Granger issued the Emancipation Proclamation of Texas. I thought it was interesting that even though Lulu’s family owned several slaves they treated them well. It was a big concern for Lulu’s family that if the blacks were freed they would have no one to help them in the fields. I think because Lulu’s father was nice and fair to his slaves, some of them stayed around until the harvest for that year was finished. That leads me to another theme how loyalty to others can pay off. Another common theme was the name that was given to Sis Goose’s by her real father. Sis Goose’s father said she would be “jus’ ‘er common goose in de cotehouse when all de rest of de folks is foxes” (21). Sis Goose’s father was saying she was that Sis Goose was the goose in the courthouse while everyone else was the foxes. This was true because even though Lulu’s family would treat her as another family member others treated Sis Goose as a slave.

Discussion Questions: Why did Lulu and her family keep a secret from Sis Goose?
Describe the type of person Auntie Sophie was?
Discuss the books that Gabe had in his room and how did the books represent him?

Reader Response: This was a great historical book. It had historical facts of Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation abolishing slavery. The book discussed the history of plantation life is Texas too. I had a few little connections to this book. One connection I had was when the book mentioned Lulu’s father hating onions and his son Gabe sneaked onions into the stew. Lulu’s father didn’t even know there were onions in the stew and Gabe and Lulu couldn’t help but laugh about it. This reminded me how my youngest son hates onions. I laugh at this because I put onions in things and my youngest son doesn’t know the difference. Another connection I had was to how Lulu and Sis goose grew up acting like real sisters. I remember one time when my mother took care of a girl who was about the same age as me but wasn’t my real sister and we used to do some of the same things that Lulu and Sis Goose would do. show less

I love the dialogue so interesting!