Boston Jane: An Adventure by Jennifer Holm

 

Boston Jane: An Adventure

Bibliography

Holm, Jennifer.  2001.  Boston Jane: An Adventure.  New York, NY: Yearling.  ISBN 9780375862045.

Plot Summary

Eleven year old Jane Peck is a bit of a tomboy; after all she does not have a mother to teach her how to become a lady.  After the onset of self-consciousness brought on by teasing and bullying from Sally Biddle and the encouragement of William Baldt, her father's surgery apprentice, she joined Miss Hepplewhite's Young Ladies Academy.  Here Jane learned to be a lady in 1850's Philadelphia society, and she excelled at it.  While her father missed the old Jane, William was pleased with her progress, and Jane became smitten with him.  When William moved to the west coast to start a timber business, he wrote and asked for Jane's hand in marriage.  After a 180-day torturous journey at sea where she lost her companion Mary, Jane arrived alone at Shoalwater Bay in Oregon country to find that William had gone after she did not arrive on time; her letter explaining the delay never made it.  Jane did her best to remain a lady in the wilderness, but unfortunate circumstances had her breaking all of Miss Hepplewhite's rules, such as showing her ankles, sleeping in a room with men, having to make the coffee in addition to pouring it, climbing on a roof to repair it, and even kissing a boy!  She became friends with the people at the lodge, both American and Chinook, and even went into the oyster business with one of the men.  After months of searching, William finally returned, yet was quite dismissive of Jane.  It turns out he only wanted to marry Jane so he could keep all of his land, so after he didn't hear from her he married a Native American girl.  After this realization, Jane sent William packing and planned to return home to Philadelphia.  However, when she saw Jesu (the sailor who kissed her), she reconsiders her plans.

Critical Analysis

This novel, set in the mid 19th century, is a quick and captivating read.  We meet young Jane, who is carefree until she realizes that society is judging her, embodied by the harsh words of Sally Biddle.  I think while the times are different, many young girls can relate to the time when they started becoming self conscious and wanting to fit in.   

Jane has two transformations in this story: from carefree tomboy to brainwashed lady while studying with Miss Hepplewhite, and then after moving West she finds her true self again.  Her transformations are symbolized by her dress colors; she wears green as William suggests while trying to be a "lady," and once she comes to her senses again she is gifted with blue fabric with which she makes a new dress, the blue that Jesu suggested suited her better than green.  We also know that Jane has returned to her senses when she is no longer haunted by Mary's ghost.  She sees William as he truly is, and is no longer compelled to be a proper lady for him.  The message of this book is to be true to yourself, no matter what society says.

This novel also gives a picture of how harsh life could be for settlers in the Washington Territory, and even for the Indians who encountered them.  One example of this would be the wave of smallpox that sickened almost everyone in the camp and took the lives of several Chinook.   Holm  also touches on the peaceful relationship between Native Americans and settlers at Shoalwater Bay, one that would eventually be destroyed by people like William who see them as less than human, to be shipped away like cattle.

Review Excerpts

Voice of Youth Advocates, 10/1/2001 by Kristen Moreland, Teen Reviewer.

"Boston Jane has a wide range of characters from Indians to surgeons to proper young ladies. It held my interest because of the characters' unexpected changes of attitude toward certain people and events in the story. Holm did a good job of making sure the reader knew what Jane felt about every event. This novel would probably appeal to all teens beginning at middle school level."

School Library Journal, 8/1/2001 by Janet Hilbun

"In the spirit of Avi's The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (Orchard, 1990), the strong, believable protagonist proves her mettle in the way she handles the adversities she meets. The author's portrayal of pioneer/Chinook relationships is sympathetic as the young woman finds true friendship with them. The only jarring note is the use of Mary's ghost to let Jane know that she is making a mistake in upholding her loyalty to shallow, stuffy William. It is an unnecessary device that adds little to an exceptionally good book. As a storyteller, Holm is superb."

 

Connections

Readers may also enjoy the other two books in this trilogy, Boston Jane: Wilderness Days ISBN 9780375862052 and Boston Jane: The Claim 9780375862069.   Another book about settling the Washington Territory that might appeal to readers is J. Anderson Coats' The Many Reflections of Miss Jane Deming, ISBN 9781481464970.