The influence and teachings of her adopted religion and the words of Joan of Arc affect Vibiana's actions in a surprising, powerful and poignant way. Once there, she and everyone else in the compound become a target for the Boxers. More encounters with Joan of Arc and abuse and ostracism from her family make Vibiana's decision to leave her village and travel with Father Bey to a Christian stronghold and easy one. After describing her vision to the Wons, they take her to see the Westerner, Father Bey who suspects she is seeing the Maid of Orleans. She is given a name, Vibiana, and soon after she has her first vision. Won gives students after class, but eventually because of the way that she is treated by the Wons and her desire to change her life. Won, as he is called in Saints, leads her to begin asking questions about Jesus Christ, at first for the reward of the cookies that Mrs.
It is this act that leads her mother to take her to a soft-hearted accupuncturist (based on the real-life Saint Mark Ji Tianxiang) who is also a Catholic. Ignored by her family and desperate for her Grandfather's regard, Four-Girl tries to get herself noticed, but only manages to draw more negative attention to herself, leading her to set her face in a horrible, permanent grimace, becoming the devil everyone says she is. Vibiana is an unlucky, unwanted and unnamed fourth daughter.
Little Bao of Boxers and Vibiana of Saints, both begin their stories as children. As the Kirkus starred review so aptly says, "this tour de fource fearlessly asks big questions about culture, faith and identity and refuses to offer simple answers." Please don't miss the incredible book trailer at the end of this review. Yang presents both sides of this violent time in Chinese history with equal scrutiny and fairness. You can read either book first, Boxers or Saints, and I guarantee you, whichever you choose to read first, after you have read both you will go back and read them again.
As the covers show, Boxers & Saints presents parallel stories of two young people who find themselves on opposite sides of the turn-of-the-20th-century Boxer Rebellion. And, today Boxers & Saints was long-listed for the 2013 National Book Award for Young People's Literature. Boxers & Saints is the innovative new graphic novel diptych from Gene Luen Yang, author of American Born Chinese, winner of the Printz Award, the Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album - New and a 2006 finalist for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature.
0 kommentar(er)
