The Girl Who Swam to Atlantis

The Girl Who Swam to Atlantis

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3.78 of 5 stars 3.78  ·  rating details  ·  125 ratings  ·  50 reviews
Nearly everything important in twelve-year-old Gabriella's life that summer of 1957 can be traced to the river. On the North Carolina military base where she lives, she meets the African-American Marine Hawkins by the river's brown-green water. Hawkins, a servant in the kitchen of her father's quarters, becomes her swim coach and a person she can talk with--even about the...more
Paperback, 168 pages
Published October 3rd 2012 by CreateSpace (first published March 14th 2012)

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Mike
The Girl Who Swam to Atlantis: Elle Thornton's Novel Keeping the Spirit of Emmett Till Alive

DO YOU KNOW THIS YOUNG MAN?

 photo Emmett-Till-507515-1-402.jpg

I did not. Not until college. I grew up in a segregated South. The only blacks I knew were the housekeepers who helped raise me. They were the most important women in my life aside from my Mother and Grandmother. I was taught to call them "Ma'am."

This young man is Emmett Till. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, July 21, 1941, the son of Mamie and Louis Till. In the summer of 195...more
Haven Gordon
This book is a fantastically powerful and emotional read. It goes to the heart and
deals with difficult topics like racism, prosecution, and freedom. It's
about a young very pretty White girl named Gabriella who becomes friends with an
older Black Marine she calls Hawkins.

Despite the differences between their cultures and their families, they become friends. As they spend time together it becomes clear that even the river they both love and share is a symbol of the distance between them that socie...more
Fredrick Danysh
This is an excellent story about a teenage girl coming of age at a Marine Corps base in North Carolina during the late 1950s. The Corps has become desegregated during the Korean War but there are still racists in it although the majority are seeing "Marine Corps green" as the only color that matters. Gabriella Winters has just joined her father, the general, after a year away at a boarding school while her mother is institutionalized. Her dad's marine orderly teachs her about friendship and not...more
Melki
...I ask him if he knows the name Emmett Till.

The general's eagle eyes latch onto mine. His beaky nose suddenly looks more sharp than usual. "How do you know that name?"

"Well, sir, our teacher told the class about Emmett. Many others know about him, too."

The general sets his knife and fork aside. "You are too young to learn about the brutality of the world. You are too young to even try to understand."


Every summer seems magical when you are a kid, and for 12-year-old Gabriella, the summer of 195...more
Tom
Aug 01, 2012 Tom rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: All readers YA to adult
Recommended to Tom by: Elle Thornton
Fear can be the current that threatens to pull you under or simply a challenge to test us and be overcome…

Elle Thornton’s debut novel reintroduces us to an important time in America where the seeds of social transition were beginning to sprout. It happens that our 12 year-old main character, Gabriella is also in the early stages of her own important transition. Gabriella begins the story a child but with the help of caring mentors and her own inquisitive nature, she may learn to see beyond herse...more
Alle Wells
I LOVED THIS STORY!
Elle Thornton turns a dark moment in our nation's history into a beautiful story. It is the story of a brave and intuitive young girl who has much more to deal with than coming of age in the 1950's. Gabriella's understanding of the troublesome times that faced Americans during that era proves to her military officer father that she is wise beyond her years. Her relationships with an elderly white woman, a young black marine, and her disabled mother show amazing insight and sen...more
Bard Jongleur
In this tender, coming-of-age tale about true friendship, a young girl grapples with a missing mother, a distant father, and the harsh realities of racism. Set in the rural south of 1957, the story had the poignancy of "Because of Winn Dixie" and a touch of "To Kill a Mockingbird." But Thornton’s finely spun masterpiece is all her own. The prose was exquisite and evocative, capturing Gabriella's outer and inner world. The characters were sharply drawn with a deft hand. In fact, this was one of t...more
Tom Lowe
This is a well written, powerful debut novel that echos the theme and texture of To Kill A Mockingbird. In Harper Lee's classic, we see and hear the story from Scout's point-of-view. In Elle Thornton's novel, the storyteller is Gabriella, a twelve-year-old girl growing up in the late fifties on a North Carolina military base. The coming of age story weaves Gabriella's efforts to earn her father's pride, a man she refers to as the General. If she can win a swimming competition just maybe the Gene...more
Kevin Young
This was a GR author giveaway win for me through the SLT book group, and I am grateful to the author for generously shipping her book to me in the Uk. It's actually very difficult for me to rate this one, as I am clearly at the opposite pole to it's target market ( which I assume to be young teen girls). It is a gentle coming of age tale of a young girl (Gabriella) who lives on a North Carolina military base with her father, in 1957. To her father she is a child, yet she finds herself on the ve...more
Lori Henrich
It is 1957 and Gabriella is 14-years-old. She has recently come home from boarding school, to a new base and a new home. Gabriella's father is the General at Rock Point base, and her mother is away resting. The General won't talk about his wife except to say she is doing well.

Hawkins is a steward assigned to help the General. He makes their evening meals and seems to be assigned to keep an eye on Gabriella. Hawkins is a young black man and even though it could mean trouble he extends a hand of...more
Naomi
A very thoughtful coming of age book written for that audience (preteen to young teens). The writing is superb and I really felt I was in Gabriella's head with some of the "magical" thinking of the littlest things will solve life's biggest problems. This book was not over the top, at all. Racial references were written very tastefully.

I must admit that I have come across some very tastefully written books on very important subjects in the YA genre and that makes me feel good when so many of the...more
Mike Addington
May 17, 2013 Mike Addington rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone
Recommended to Mike by: noticed it on shelf
The Girl Who Swam to Atlantis, by Elle Thornton, is really a must read because it furthers the understanding of racial/cultural relations and stimilates the reader's mind to evaluate one's own "moral fiber," not only in regards to race, but also in one's beliefs and interaction with others.

This book is superbly written with excellent descriptions and metaphors that are sometimes heartwarming, sometimes heartbreaking, and sometime absolutely hilarious, eg (paraphrase), '. . . her body resembled a...more
Noel-Anne Brennan
I love this book! A young girl grows up on a military base in North Carolina in the racially charged 1950s, struggling to prove herself to her father, the General, and to find out what happened to her mother. She makes friends by following her heart, without regard to race or age. The more I learned about Gabriella the more I liked her. She follows the magic of the river, which is also the magic of herself, as she tries to make sense of the world. This whole story is magic. I should have said th...more
Robyn
This coming of age story for twelve year old Gabriella, a tender-hearted young white girl in the 1950s, portrays a historical view of the south and society’s prejudice against African-Americans. The daughter of a marine, Gabriella struggles to prove her independence so her mentally troubled mother can come home. When her father hires an African-American soldier named Hawkins to help around the house, this man becomes more than support for her father. He becomes a mentor and protector to Gabriell...more
Richard Sharp
I liked this novel a great deal, although I thought it could be subtantially expanded to improve the depth of character development. The story is effectively told from the perspective of the young girl who is the central protagonist. Still, I would like to have learned more of her parents and other aspects of the "backstory" that enabled the girl to be so open and unprejudiced in an era with so much racial turmoil. Perhaps that is accounted for merely by the innocence of youth, but that might be...more
Faye Heath
This is a lovely, gentle story about a young girl coming of age on a Marine base in North Carolina in the late 50s. The author uses beautiful word pictures to punctuate her story. "...the sun drops behind the horizon like an orange slipping from a child's hand." How's that for painting a scene?

This is a Y-A novel that can be read and discussed by the entire family. There are lessons to learn here and historical incidents that need to be remembered. I see hours of discussions with your young ones...more
Lyn M (readinghearts)
Apr 26, 2013 Lyn M (readinghearts) rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: middle school students, teachers, and the parents of middle schoolers.
Recommended to Lyn M (readinghearts) by: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Book
With all of the "boy meets girl" and fantasy YA books out there, it is always refreshing to find a book that deals with a more serious issue. The Girl Who Swam to Atlantis by Elle Thorntonis just such a book. Gabrielle Winter is 13, and like many 13-year-olds, she is not sure of her place in the world. Complicating matters is the fact that Gabrielle is spending the summer at an Army base in North Caroline where her father, a general, is stationed. It is the summer of 1957 and racial tensions in...more
Vicki
I thought this was a good book that touched on some powerful issues such as racism and family dynamics. You could not help but to want to hug Gabriella and the author should be commended on bringing forward such complex issues in this short yet powerful book.

What I would have liked to have seen was a little more. There were so many powerful things going on but I felt like I was given a taste of each and then had the plate taken away. This easily could have been a much longer book with her relat...more
Gina
Goodreads Description- Nearly everything important in twelve-year-old Gabriella’s life that summer of 1957 can be traced to the river. On the North Carolina military base where she lives, she meets the African-American Marine Hawkins by the river’s brown-green water. When her father, the General, treats her as if she doesn’t exist, Gabriella’s determined to show him she’s good at something: she’ll learn to swim. And it’s the river with its mysterious worlds that leads to her mother.

At the river,...more
Sylvia Hester
I received this book as a first read. Lets just say, I am so glad that I did. This novel was so heartfelt that I transported to the 1950s. I was Gabriella, a child wise and bright beyond her 12 years on this earth. Gabriella befriended those that people ignored or not look a two. She is a child who looks at a person and not seeing the color of their skin the age on their face but the character that grows within them. At the end I think Gabriella found who she truly was and what she truly wanted....more
Anne
Set in the late 50's, in North Carolina. Gabriella is a military brat. She can never seem to be good enough to gain her father's attention and approval. Her mother has left so it is just the two of them. She meets an African-American Marine who works for her father and he teaches her to swim in the nearby river.

Raises lots of questions about racism and prejudice, often references the life of Emmet Till.

Hard sell for teens, I'm thinking.
Connie
This is an interesting coming of age in the late 1950's tale. I enjoyed the story however did think some of it could have been "fleshed out" somewhat. The ideas in the story are really good. You get a taste of what racism is like in the South before the civil rights movement fully unleashes itself. The main character draws inspiration from Emmett Till (a black teenager that was lynched) and from a marine that is working for her father, the General.
Pamela
I really enjoyed this book, but found myself wanting so much more, thus the reason for the 3 stars. This beautifully written YA book had wonderful characters, touched on very interesting subject matter, and was a very quick read. I was looking for the story to go into more depth, and answer some questions. I definitely will be looking for more books from Ms. Thornton.
Lara Joy
The story is good and it was beautifully written in simple way that any reader can understand. Although I don't have that much experience of racism, I was able to appreciate the story.

I was just expecting more of the story that's why I can't give it 4 or 5 stars. As I reached the end of the story, I was like "is that all?".
Sam
Jul 21, 2012 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars
Shelves: e-books
I really liked this book. It was a wonderful coming of age novel with some lovely characters. If there was anything negative, I would say there were a few instances that I felt the author rushed. I would have liked a little more padding on the final dramatic scene between Gabriella and Hawkins, but other than that it was very well written.

For a debut novel, I think Elle Thornton hit a home run for a Middle Grade/YA novel. I will definitely be looking out for more by this new author.
Chris
After reading the first few pages, I wasn't sure, but I ended up really liking this. It's a short book, too, so I was able to start it yesterday and finish it today! I loved the analogy of having dead people end up in Atlantis.
Lindsay
i really enjoyed reading this book. the story was well written and descriptive. it was very sad but depicted the 1950s and how it was to be colored and white. I loved Emmette in this story and what he represented. over all a very enjoyable read
Darcy


This was a beautifully written story. The descriptions are poetic in a quiet, unassuming way. Its metaphors are apt and wrap effortlessly through the work. Well worth the time.
Bette Crosby
This was a beautifully written first novel and I am certain we will see more from Elle Thornton. The prose is musical and the setting extremely realistic. She used the river as a touchstone to not only bring the story together but to weave a magic tale around her characters. This is a YA story that even adults will enjoy. Kudos to Ms. Thornton
Jayne Bowers
My father wasn't a Marine, my mother didn't have mental issues, and I wasn't an only child, but nevertheless, I could identify with Gabriella, the young heroine in this coming of age book. Although she was a few years older than I in 1957, Gabriella and I awoke to some of the same social and emotional issues about the same age. At some point in a young person's life, she begins to see social injustice and prejudice at work and wonders why it's happening. She begins to see her parents and friends...more
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On the Southern L...: Group Giveaway for May, 2013 11 30 May 20, 2013 06:35am  
Sisterhood of the...: The Girl Who Swam to Atlantis by Elle Thornton 9 15 Apr 26, 2013 03:32pm  
The Girl Who Swam to Atlantis (Kindle Edition)
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My background as the daughter of a career Marine and my professional experience as a newspaper reporter, technical writer, and instructor in freshman English helped prepare me to write The Girl Who Swam to Atlantis.

I only knew Emmett Till's name from the Bob Dylan song, "Ballad of Emmett Till," until one of my African-American students mentioned the name to me: Something in my student's eyes and v...more
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“I'm too old to be ignorant as I am."
--Twelve-year-old Gabriella to the general, who does not want her to know about Emmett Till and the world's brutality.”
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