rebelbelle13 's review for:

Moon Over Manifest: by Clare Vanderpool, Clare Vanderpool

4.25

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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 Some of my favorite historical fictions are middle-grade. I think that may be because authors feel the need to be more relatable, more interesting, and spend less time on research and more time on the characters themselves. I appreciate how Vanderpool jumps right into Abilene's story, and with it, the story of Manifest. The duel timelines might put off some readers, but I like the way it breaks up the story and keeps things interesting. Abilene's story takes place in 1936, and she as she is doing work for an older woman, Miss Sadie, the latter tells her about what happened in the town of Manifest in 1918. The story covers all manners of appropriate history, including prohibition, the depression, World War 1, mining towns, immigration, and the spanish flu- and yet, Vanderpool deftly weaves these events into the story in such a way that it doesn't feel like checking off boxes, like it does in some historical fiction. Abilene is an endearing, curious girl that actually acts her age (for the time) and respects the boundaries of others and authority of adults.
I really would have liked to have spent more time with certain characters, specifically Ned Gillan, especially before he went off to war. It also took some time for me to become invested (about 1/3 of the book), but once I got to that point, I was all in.
All in all, this is a wonderful, heartwarming story, best read in a comfortable chair by the fire, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a depression era historical fiction that isn't all, well, depressing.