Quake!: Disaster in San Francisco, 1906
By: Gail Langer Karwoski
Narrated by: Terry Bregy
Length: 4 hrs and 12 mins
Release date: 04-08-11
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Genre: Historical Fiction, Middle Graders
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.
Publisher's Summary
Buildings were weaving in and out, the street pitched like a stormy sea and bricks were raining down all around him.... Experience first hand through young Jacob what it was like living through this country’s most destructive earthquake!
©2006 Gail Langer Karwoski (P)2011 Audio Bookshelf
Review:
Jacob is a young Jewish boy of 13 (he celebrated Bar Mitzvah his last birthday) living in San Francisco in the early 1900s. His father runs a meat stand and Jacob helps by delivering the orders through out the town. One of his stops is to deliver meat to his Uncle Avram who runs a produce market. While making the delivery, Jacob, discovers he is being followed by a small dog. Uncle Avram encourages Jacob to take the dog home since Avram’s wife won’t let him take the dog in since they have an infant to care for. But Jacob suspects his father will not allow him to keep the dog. His father, his little sister, Sophie, and Jacob have been struggling since his mother died during the past year. There is little happiness in the house as father and children suffer with grief.
The next morning Jacob leaves early to take the dog away as his father has insisted. Along the way to Uncle’s home the dog gets skittish and soon is pushing Jacob away as a wall is shaken down by an earthquake. Jacob and the dog, later named Quake, dodge through panicked crowds and falling buildings until they are lost. As Jacob tries to head home, Quake takes him to a cluttered hole in the ground where they rescue a young Chinese boy, San. The two boys and dog set off to try to find their families.
Jacob and San end up first in Union Square and later in Golden Gate Park searching desperately for their families. There are frightening rumors that the quake has damaged many other states and at first, they think no help will come. Along the way of their search, San faces racial discrimination and bullying but the boys also find a temporary tent home with a young Irish family who helps them.
The story is an easy read and does a good job describing the setting of 1906 San Francisco and the various class (wealth) separations and immigrant communities. The young boys and dog will help to keep children interested. I think this would be a good book for middle graders to learn about the time, the event and the negative aspects of racism. I recommend this to families to read or listen together.
Audio Notes: Terry Bregy does a nice job with the narration. He provides distinct voices and accents for the immigrant characters. I was glad to have this as a free audio.
Source: 6/10/2022 Audible Plus Catalog. This qualifies for 2022Audiobook and 2022Alphabet goals.
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