Our Only May Amelia

Bibliography

Holm, J. L. (2000). Our only May Amelia. New York: HarperTrophy. ISBN: 9780064408561

Plot Summary

May Amelia Jackson was the first girl born along the Nasel River in Washington in the 19th century. With seven older brothers, she makes for a poor girl indeed. How is she supposed to be a proper young lady when there are no other girls to model after? Maybe the baby Mamma is expecting will help keep her out of trouble.

  

Critical Analysis

A map of the Nasel River Settlement is provided at the beginning of the book to help the reader understand the small community and May Amelia’s frequent haunts. Before each chapter is a picture that somehow goes with the contents of the section. Chapter Five, Grandmother Tries Our Patience, has the picture of a stern older woman wearing all black. This is quite the interpretation of Grandmother Patience, who moves in with the family.

The setting of the Nasel River settlement is original. May Amelia’s family is Finnish, as well as many of the settlers in this part of Washington. Farming and logging are the major industries of this time period. The logging portion is depicted in an interesting fashion when people are warned of the dam being let out while they are on the river. The author mentions many different Finnish foods that May Amelia eats with her family. The only time she eats something that isn’t Finnish in origin is when she visits her aunt in Astoria.

One item of note in this book is the lack of quotation marks. The reader must be paying close attention to who is speaking and who is not while reading. This could also be there to reflect May Amelia’s lack of education. It is mentioned multiple times that she is not often able to make it to school because of the distance and because of the help needed on the farm. Important words or phrases, such as how Amelia is referred to as “A Miracle” are also randomly capitalized. This could be to highlight their importance.

Author Jennifer L. Holm creates an atmosphere along the Nasel in 1899 that definitely is not conducive to being a proper young lady. Since May Amelia is the youngest with so many older brothers, and her mother spends the majority of the book pregnant or cooking, it is hard for May Amelia to know what a proper young lady is supposed to look or act like. The mother does little to correct May Amelia which begs the question: is the mother demonstrating the family’s expectation of their only daughter? The answer is more no than yes considering how many times May Amelia gets herself into trouble.

The crushing blow of the death of the Baby Amy upends May Amelia. She leaves the Nasel to stay with her aunt and one of her brothers in Astoria. During this time, the reader can conclude that May Amelia is utterly devastated and guilty about the loss of her little sister. This loss has also shaken something inside of her that is tired of being constantly wrong. Her father is always yelling, her grandmother is nagging, and she just doesn’t feel as though she is doing anything right anymore.

The arrival of her twin brothers contributes to May Amelia’s healing process. The two are heartbroken that she refuses to come home which helps her realize that she is valued back home. May Amelia’s character development is not grand the scheme of things, but this is where the reader can clearly sense a shift in our May Amelia.

In her author’s note, Holm informs the reader that most of the inspiration from this novel was based on family history, her grandmother to be precise. The events within the pages of the book were taken from oral family histories that helped shape May Amelia. The pictures provided at the beginning of each chapter do not have references, so it is hard to check their validity.  

Review Excerpt(s)

Newbery Medal Nominee (2000)

Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (2001)

“An unforgettable heroine narrates Holm’s extraordinary debut novel. May Amelia’s spunky narrative voice gives the novel its immediacy and potency. Not to be missed.” (Publishers Weekly)

“The voice of the colloquial first-person narrative rings true and provides a vivid picture of frontier and pioneer life in Washington State in 1899.”   (Horn Book)

“The robust characterizations captivate, the lilting dialogue twangs, and the sharply individual first-person narrative gives the material authority and polish.” (Kirkus Reviews)

Connections

Study the major influences of settlers moving to this Washington territory.

Analyze the different Native American groups in the area. Compare them.  

Compare the length of the Nasel River to the Mississippi River.

Play a recording of a lesson in Finnish. Have students reflect on the language barrier they may have encountered. What was hard about the lesson? What was easy?

Write a letter to May Amelia from Baby Amy. What would Baby Amy want May Amelia to know?

Compare Finnish immigrants to Irish immigrants. Why would May Amelia’s father be so opposed to Mattie marrying an Irish girl?