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Dark Water Rising
By Marian Hale
Main Characters:
Seth Braedan is the oldest boy in his family. He didn't
want to leave his home town, but he learns to
like Galveston. His father is making him go to
college to become a doctor, but he earns a
carpenter job during the summer. When the
hurricane hits, Seth takes on the role of oldest man
in the house when his father isn't here. "You'd think
every dang person from Lampasas to Houston wanted
to go to Galveston this hot August day. Everyone except
me." -Hale, 1
Josiah is one of the carpenters at the house where Seth works. His grandfather, Ezra, works for Seth's Uncle Nate. Josiah shows extreme bravery in the face of the storm, and he makes the journey back home with Seth. "A closer look at Josiah told me he was younger than I first thought, nearer to my age than Henry's. It was his height that fooled me. He looked to be at least 6-foot."- Hale, 43
Ella Rose Covington is the girl who lives next door
to Seth's Uncle Nate. She is the cousin of
Henry Covington, who works with Seth. She
waits with the Braedans until her father comes home after the hurricane. "A girl had stepped out with a load of packages, and I leaned over the spindled for a better look. I watched her run up the steps, her straw-blonde hair swishing from side to side, her shiny blue dress lit with the sun." -Hale, 18
Mr. Braedan is Seth's father. He was the one who tried to convince his sons to move to Galveston. His high hopes for his boys to have a good education overrule Seth's dream of becoming a carpenter. After the hurricane is over, he decided to go help rebuild a bridge for the ports. Leaving Seth in charge, he found a rason for every decision he made. "I held my breath while the vacant expression on Papa's weathered face shifted. I saw a small glimmer of excitement, but it was the hunger in his eyes that finally made me clench my teeth with dread, the same kind of hunger that always sharpened his words and defined his face when he talked about his son's futures." -Hale, 5
Uncle Nate lives in Galveston, where he wants his family to move. He has been very successful in Galveston, and he wanted the same for his brother. But during the hurricane, Uncle Nate goes missing, and he was percieved to be dead. "It was true my uncle's lumber business had done well, but Uncle Nate thought Galveston could improve his younger brother's lot in life, too." -Hale, 3
On September 8, 1900, a hurricane hit the Galveston coast. It had winds of
about 135 mph, which made it a Category 4 storm. Fatalities were between 6,00o and 12,000. In Dark Water Rising, Seth is at work while the hurricane hits. He needs to get home, but he has to find food and water. Josiah is with him also, so he needs to get them both home before his family assumes he is dead.
Seth thought that he would never see his family again, but he made it back home after he tried to find Sarah Louise Ellison. He surprised his family since he showed up after 2 days. They were happy to see him, and he was able to eat for the first time in a long time. He returned home to find almost everyone that he had left a few days ago. Uncle Nate and Ben were missing, but they would be searched for later. -Hale, 123-125
My favorite part of the book was when Seth gets the opporitunity to get a summer job as a carpenter. He still has to go to Medical School in the Fall, but when he finds out about his option, he forgets all about it. The best part about this was imagining what Seth's face looked like when he heard. "Shock must have shown all over me, because he took one look at my face and laughed out loud. He patted an arm on the wicker chair beside him and said,'Sit down, boy. I can't tell whether you're mad or glad.' " My least favorite part was when Seth and Josiah came across Sarah Louise Ellison in the mud. At first, Seth didn't know who was talking to him. As he came to realize that the voice was coming from under him, he got scared for whoever she was. He promised to remember the name: Sarah Louise Ellison. Shortly after Seth and Josiah left to look for supplies, Sarah Louise died in the mud. They came back, only to find that she had died. I was glad that Seth always remembered her name though, even if it wasn't important. "I leaned over the narrow crack, searching the dark for a movement, just one glimpse of her face. 'We'll get help,' I called. 'I don't want to die... without someone... knowing my name.' 'We'll find saws; we'll get you out.' 'Please mister... I'm Sarah... Sarah Louise Ellison.' -Hale, 113-114
I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted to learn more about the hurricane and Galveston.
Presentation by: Lillie Saunders :)