Wolf by the Ears [Turtleback]

 

 

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Eighteen-year-old Harriet Hemings is the daughter of Sally Hemings, a slave woman. Harriet, Sally, and Harriet's three brothers, Beverly, Madison, and Eston, live in the Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's famous estate. It is 1820, and Harriet, a very light-skinned slave, is very confused about who she truly is. The Hemings are treated with kindness and live a life of almost luxury in Monticello. Harriet is rarely forced to do any housework. But what is even worse for Harriet is the fast growing ore obvious possibility that Thomas Jefferson himself is her father; after all, she and Beverly both have his red hair and light skin.

Beverly passionately desires to attend the university Jefferson is building, though he knows Jefferson could never allow a black man to, even though he is his own son. But Harriet's biggest problem is now that she is eighteen, going on nineteen, the years are quickly dwindling away to May 1822, when Harriet will come of age and be twenty-one years old. Then, Harriet can take her freedom and leave the Monticello forever. But Harriet does not want to leave Monticello, for it is the only home she has ever known and loves it---but she truly does not want to leave for fear of never seeing Jefferson again. Still Harriet does not listen to the wisdom of her mother and Mammy Ursula, an old slave woman who tells stories and fairy tales about witches and good voodoo to the Monticello's slave children, including Harriet when she was younger.

Harriet does not listen to Thomas Mann Randolph, Jefferson's son-in-law and the governor of Virginia, either. He begs with her to take her freedom. He does not live with his wife Jefferson's daughter Martha, for she refuses to. Everyone whispers that he is insane, and though Harriet attempts to lie to herself, saying that she does not listen to Thomas because of his craziness, she knows that it is not so. And though the slave Thruston, who loves Harriet deeply, warns her of upcoming trouble at Monticello, she closes her ears to him. It is not until Charles Bankhead, the drunken and physically abusive husband of Jefferson's granddaughter Anne tries to rape Harriet does she finally take action.

Bankhead brutally beats his wife Anne and constantly gets drunk, and Harriet knows that if she does not leave soon, another confrontation between them may happen again, and this time she may not be so lucky enough for Thruston to rescue her. Taking Thomas Mann Randolph's advice, Harriet hatches a plan to "pass." She will become betrothed to a white man, an often visitor to Monticello who admires her, and will pass as a white woman to escape Monticello before Jefferson dies... Before all his slaves are sold to pay off old debts. Harriet will be like her oldest brother Tom, who disappeared in the night years ago and passed as a white man in order to have his freedom forever.

Ann Rinaldi has written an excellent novel yet again to add to her collection of exemplary historical fiction. In her good author's note, Ann Rinaldi stated that when she wrote Wolf By the Ears, she was setting out not just to write a historical tale taking place at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello home in the 1820s, but also to tell a story about alienation from a father because of race and skin color. While the use of Harriet's diary comes off as a bit contrived a few times, this novel is still considered by many to be a modern-day classic, along with Ann Rinaldi's In My Father's House. Harriet, while largely fictional, is a vivid, intelligent protagonist, and the story will stay in the minds of the avid readers long after the final page is turned at last.

Highly recommended!

The first time I read this book, I was ten years old and doing a report on Sally Hemmings for my social studies class. I started reading it, and I could not put it aside to look at the other books I had checked out from the library. I simply had to finish it! I fell in love with the character of Harriet Hemmings and had to find out what happened to her. It inspired me to do more research than I needed to for my report. A few years later I spied the book in a store and I remembered how much I enjoyed reading it the first time so I bought it...and loved it all over again. There are very few books that I read in my childhood that I'd still read today, and I'm happy to say that this is definitely one of them. It is so well-written and the story compelling and emjoyable.

Along with Time Enough For Drums, this is one of my favorite Ann Rinaldi books!! I was easily transported to Monticello in 1820-1822, and I felt like I really got to know all of the characters. As I was reading this book, I became Harriet Hemings, and I felt her pain, happiness, sadness, and confusion. The ending is great, although it leaves you hoping for more!! Maybe Ann Rinaldi will write a sequel! I hope so! Anyway, read this book! You won't want to miss it!

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4.0 out of 5 stars Wolf by the Ears
Wolf by the Ears

Wolf by the Ears takes place in Thomas Jefferson's house where a slave girl named Harriet Hemmings, her two older brothers, two younger brothers, and... Read more

Published on Mar 10 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars Brandi from Richview Middle School
This story is dull at first, but it gets better toward the end. The most exciting part of this book is at the very end when she figures out who her father is. Read more

Published on Mar 10 2004

2.0 out of 5 stars Not for serious readers
¡§Wolf by the Ears,¡ written by Ann Rinaldi, is a story about Harriet Hemings, Thomas Jefferson¡s servant, or as some rumors say, his daughter. Read more

Published on Feb 17 2004 by Baye-Shan Cooper

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Rinaldi's best
This book did not meet the high expectations I have come to expect from Rinaldi. Had the book been written by another it might have received 4 stars from me, but this prolific... Read more

Published on Dec 26 2003 by Arielle M. Dundas

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Enough Depth
While I do understand that this was a novel written for children, I feel that it didn't have enough depth and there were certain areas of the book which were unnecessary. Read more

Published on Jun 3 2003 by Lindsay Harrison

5.0 out of 5 stars great book
Wolf by the ears was a wonderful book. It really captures yu thoughts. Harriet (main chracter) really shows her feelings in the Journal. Read more

Published on April 13 2003

4.0 out of 5 stars Wolf by the ears
Wolf By The Ears

Wolf by the Ears is about a girl named Harriet Hemings. Harriet is the slave of Thomas Jefferson, but no one ever calls her a slave. Read more

Published on April 8 2003 by Amanda

3.0 out of 5 stars Not WONDERFUL, but insightful and thoughtful
This book was good in some ways and bad in some ways. I think Rinaldi could've done better in writing this book because the romance stunk in it, but altogether it wasn't so bad... Read more

Published on Mar 28 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars real life time machine
I love historical fictions. I don't know why, but they just seem very interesting to me. I enjoy knowing about what went on in the past and Ann Rinaldi does a very good job of... Read more

Published on Feb 11 2003

4.0 out of 5 stars Wolf By The Ears
Wolf By The Ears is a well written book by Ann Rinaldi. It shows some of the struggles of slavery. As harriet deals with the decision of wether or not to pass as a white, or... Read more

Published on Nov 22 2002 by betsy

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