Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie BrinkMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was one of my favorite books as a child. It was interesting to re-read it with my own children, and see how it held up. In some ways, the book--like the beloved Little House books--is strongly rooted in both the time it was written and when it took place. Particularly, there are some attitudes towards the Wisconsin Indians (the book never tells us the specific tribe), that should make a modern reader squirm. On the other hand, there are characters like Caddie's father and Caddie herself, who value the Indians' culture and recognize the prejudice around them for what it is.
Throughout the book there is a conflict between civilization and wilderness--Wisconsin vs. Boston, America vs. England, the escapades of Caddie and her brothers against the domestic pursuits of her mother and older sister Clara. I'm sure many would suggest that this is symbolic of the male vs. female sphere, but I love how Caddie's father sort of trumps this at the end. After a pretty rotten (but funny!) trick played on their Boston cousin Annabelle, Caddie is severely punished and her free days as a tomboy come to a screeching halt. Her father acknowledges the different roles of men and women, but points out that while different, they are equal in importance. He says "I don't want you to be the silly affected person with fine clothes and manners, whom folks sometimes call a lady...I want you to be a woman with a wise and understanding heart, healthy in body and honest in mind." I was touched by this exchange, though I'm sure many will call it old fashioned. I also loved that the boys followed Caddie in this new world, and think that both Caddie and the boys would be better for their cross-training, so to speak.
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