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After the Dancing Days
For Annie and her family, World War I is over. Her father, a doctor, has returned home. But for the wounded men Annie sees being carried from the train, the war will never really be over.
Hardcover, 217 pages
Published
September 1st 1988
by Turtleback Books
(first published October 1st 1986)
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I was a little reluctant when I picked up After the Dancing Days today. I have memories of loving this book, memories of sobbing at the end. Clearly, I was obsessed with romance as a preteen. All I cared about when I read the book was Annie and Andrew’s potential romance. And I obviously missed Margartet Rotkowski’s point.
This book is not a romance. Andrew is a severely wounded WWI veteran; Annie is thirteen. Clearly, I had no issues with a May/December romance as a teeny bopper, but as an adult...more
This book is not a romance. Andrew is a severely wounded WWI veteran; Annie is thirteen. Clearly, I had no issues with a May/December romance as a teeny bopper, but as an adult...more
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I teach ninth grade English at a rural high school. The history teacher and I are going to do a cooperative unit on World War I. She found this book and bought it so that we could read it. When I had gotten about 20 pages in, I thought that the students would be bored by the book. However, I persevered and finished the book. I changed my mind: I think the students will like -- not love, but like -- the book. Rostkowski paints a vivid picture of what it was like in the war as her protagonist begi...more
I'm scoring this one conservatively, as I haven't read it since I was in middle school, probably, and I'm not even sure I still own it -- it was undoubtedly one of the scads of books I bought through the book club in grade school.
It's not at all a bad read: fairly well paced, with interesting and reasonably 3-dimensional main characters (the minor ones, not so much). But it also has a compelling and increasingly germane message about the cost of war, and who pays it, and how. Freedom isn't free,...more
It's not at all a bad read: fairly well paced, with interesting and reasonably 3-dimensional main characters (the minor ones, not so much). But it also has a compelling and increasingly germane message about the cost of war, and who pays it, and how. Freedom isn't free,...more
Sep 10, 2009
Sandra Strange
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction,
young-adult
Annie’s doctor dad, newly arrived home after World War I’s end, works at a hospital for badly injured veterans. Annie goes to visit a neighbor boy with her grandfather, a boy confined there because his eyes have been injured. While there, she meets Andrew, whose face was destroyed in a gas attack. More than his face was destroyed--his hope, his ambitions, his dreams were eaten away, leaving Andrew bitter and withdrawn. At first Annie runs away from Andrew in horror, but gradually she begins to k...more
Just because the war is over, doesn't mean everyone's done fighting. This book shows that in an eye-opening way. It makes you think: Would it be better to die in a glorious battle, or survive brutally disfigured? Would you want to find out how a loved one really died, even if it means he/she didn't die like the hero you expected? Does making a big memorial make up for lost soldiers, especially when the money could be used for those still alive and struggling? In the simplest terms, I loved this...more
Here is the thing - this book is corny and slow but I liked it. This is what I liked: the mom is afraid of the injured vets and the daughter is just learning to want her independence and she is willing to stand up to her mom to do what is right. I am sure a lot if people wanted to ignore the mustard gas victims and I like that this book addresses this. It was really interesting. I think a 13 year old girl befriending a war get might seem really weird in our current culture but I liked that it wa...more
This book was the story about a teenage girl and her family trying to deal with the loss of loved ones because of war and the damage to those who survived the war.
She learned to looked pass the wounds of wars to get to the person inside and help her heal and help the wounded heal.
The war also showed that we would always have wars, it is a terrible to have wars but we need to learn to forgive (Not forget) but to forgive to heal.
"Dying is always hard especially if it someone we love." But when peo...more
She learned to looked pass the wounds of wars to get to the person inside and help her heal and help the wounded heal.
The war also showed that we would always have wars, it is a terrible to have wars but we need to learn to forgive (Not forget) but to forgive to heal.
"Dying is always hard especially if it someone we love." But when peo...more
I seem to be in a war-time historical fiction phase. This was my favorite of the war books I have read recently. I found it in an old classroom set stashed in the library. Although, this book was about World War I it offers many thoughts to ponder about war in general and its aftermath.
My favorite quote:
"Always more. Doesn't it seem insane to you? I wonder sometimes if I'm the only one who feels this way. It just seems so wrong and yet we keep doing it. Maybe I just don't understand enough about...more
My favorite quote:
"Always more. Doesn't it seem insane to you? I wonder sometimes if I'm the only one who feels this way. It just seems so wrong and yet we keep doing it. Maybe I just don't understand enough about...more
Jun 05, 2008
The other John
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction,
schoolbook
This one's a tale of the aftermath of World War I. The war is over and Annie Metcalf's father--a doctor--has just returned home. Moved by his experience, he forgoes his old practice at County Hospital and begins working with the wounded vets at St. John's veteran's hospital. Annie's grandfather also regularly visits St. John's, to read to a local boy who has suffered an eye injury. This causes a bit of tension in the family, as Annie's mother, like most of the rest of the community, would like t...more
Annie goes to the Catholic hospital where her father is a doctor after World War I and meets wounded veterans who challenge her outlook on life. VERY excellent, very weepy second half. When she goes for her first motorcycle ride with her uncle, that brought back memories. It IS like flying!
Why haven't they made a movie of this book?
Quote:
"Oh, hello, kitty." -- pg. 150
Quote:
"Well, won't that be interesting?" -- pg. 206
Why haven't they made a movie of this book?
Quote:
"Oh, hello, kitty." -- pg. 150
Quote:
"Well, won't that be interesting?" -- pg. 206
I enjoyed this book, but didn't really love it. It was definitely an easy read, but I was disappointed in the anti-war message. Not because I feel that we should glorify war, but rather that the opposition to war in general was rather canned and uninteresting. I appreciated the author's message of how we treat wounded veterans and found myself wondering if I am one of the people who would rather not look at the effects of war. I am excited to discuss this book at book club.
The five-star rating is not a current review of this book - I haven't read it in at least ten years, but it was one of my favorite books when I was about 10 or 11. I probably read it 4 or 5 times in several years.
I should really revisit it sometime - it is, after all, the book which lead to my interest in WWI, which in turn helped fuel my interest in the early 20th century and late 19th century in general.
I should really revisit it sometime - it is, after all, the book which lead to my interest in WWI, which in turn helped fuel my interest in the early 20th century and late 19th century in general.
I love it when you read a book for school that you end up liking. This book gives a good insight to what it was like after world war one. It focuses on Annie, a girl who's life is forever changed because of the war. Her father works in the hospital, and one day she goes with him and see's the wounded men from the war. She hates was she see's but is somehow drawn to the hurting men.
Nov 19, 2008
Christina
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
book-group,
fiction-historical
I liked the honesty of the book. Do we still do that? Do we still avoid associating with people who have been disabled fighting on our behalf? I thought it was sad that people made a conscious decision to ignore these injured vets.
In the back of my mind, I kept assuming it would become a romance, then I had to remind myself that she was a thirteen year old girl!
In the back of my mind, I kept assuming it would become a romance, then I had to remind myself that she was a thirteen year old girl!
After the Dancing Days is about a girl named Annie who's uncle has died in WW1. Against her mother's instructions, Annie visits St. John's Hospital, a hospital for wounded war veterans where her dad works. She befriends Andrew, a bitter young man whose face was horribly disfigured by mustard gas. Can she help him? I really liked this book because of it's message, and I would highly reccomend it.
Words cannot describe how much I love this story. WW1 is such a chilling subject to write about, and this book did a beautiful job of describing some of the effects caused by the war, and the scars it left on people both mentally and physically. Definitely going to re-read this someday.
Oct 20, 2012
Sarah
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction,
world-war
I found this a very easy read. The plot was very good but I find that it could have been even more gripping if it had been written in more detail. I was looking at the time for a book that would challenge my reading skills and I did not find that in this book. That should not disappoint anyone from reading it though for it has a most wonderful story line and I was drawn into the characters lives by the first few pages! This gave me a new perspective on war and made me realize the sufferings that...more
A thoughtful book about the aftermath of war and how a 13-year-old girl deals with her father being a doctor to the severely wounded veterans after World War I while her mother disapproves of his decision. The author is a resident of Ogden, Utah, where she teaches high school.
I don't remember anything about this book except that I loved it when I read it when I was 12 ish.... I had gotten it from my neighbor's granddaughter, who also loved the book. She was 17. I have no idea what the appropriate age is for it but there's a gauge; Teenagers.
I still have a very clear memory of finding this book in the library at my jr. high school, reading it and loving it. Loving it!
Then I re-read it several years later and did not love it as much. Something I've found to happen with lots of books I loved in my younger days.
Then I re-read it several years later and did not love it as much. Something I've found to happen with lots of books I loved in my younger days.
Mar 29, 2010
Vicki
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction,
young-adult
This book was about a family dealing with the aftermath of World War I, each in their own different way. I love historical fiction, but didn't know a lot about this time period so it was fun to learn a little about it. I thought it had a good plot and was interesting. The ravages of war affect families in such different ways and it made me grateful that I have not been closely affected by a war. I understand how hard it is for people to handle the affects of war though as I remember a young man...more
I first read this when I was an actual YA, and it really made an impact on me. Now that I've reread it as an adult, I can see why. The author strikes an honest tone, and the coming-of-age of the main character does not feel forced.
Loved the characters and loved the conflicts they went through. if you are someone who prefers non adventure type books, and just want good conversations and good relationships, then this is a good read. plus, it gives insight to a war that is not always written about in fiction.
I read this book years ago when I was a teenager. I remembered I really liked it, and that is saying something because I was not a reader in those days. I may try reading it again to see if I love it as much as I did back then.
This is a great historical fiction novel about World War I and the aftermath. Definitely for young adults because of the harsh reality facing many of the veterans upon their return.
Set in post World War One, this book deals with the recuperating process of two individuals in very different circumstances. It's lovely, and I recommend it to everyone!
1 like · like · see review
I just read this for junior high English class. I thought it was very well-written and an engaging novel for young adults. I wonder how it would be to read it alone for pleasure, since I'm especially enjoying the analysis and discussion that comes out of the book during class time. This is an authentic and convincing story of a 13-year-old girl who finds herself having to deal with pain, self-discovery, and growth in the midst of the national process of reconciliation and healing at the end of W...more
Wonderful story that brings post-war realities to life. I would only let more mature children read this. Overall, I was amazed at how quickly those 240 pages passed.
I went back and read this book again after so many years of it being on my self. There are some moral points that I don't agree with, but I enjoyed the book.
Feb 05, 2011
Vicki
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
homeschooling-books,
read-aloud-books
A young girl comes to terms with what war does to the men returning home. She befriends a young man who suffered severe burns during WWI.
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