Yep, Laurence. 2006. The earth dragon awakes: the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. New York: HarperCollins. 9780060275242
Plot Summary
The author shares a historical fiction young adult taking place during the 1906 San Francisco Earthquakes and Great Fires. As told through the voice of a young wealthy boy from one neighborhood and through the eyes of a young Chinese immigrant boy who lived in Chinatown. The events of the earthquake, after shocks, and subsequent fires unfold as they affect each family and neighborhood.
Critical Analysis
Henry and Chin are two young friends that narrate this tragic tale through personalized voices. Yep juxtaposes the perspective of a rich American boy with a Chinese houseboy's perspective. The contrast is both shocking and subtle. The author illuminates neighbors reactions to the tragedy in each of their community's throughout the story. The people in Chinatown are found immediately seeking refuge in the temple in prayer. The wealthy Americans are found scavenging their possessions they long to keep. The neighbors efforts of rescue contrasts each other as does the types of responses of one person helping another showing greed and kindness in different ways. The buildings in each neighborhood are destroyed differently probably because of the structural soundness and also to do with the location of the earthquake's epicenter. Chinatown residents congregate in a central open park and cook for large groups of refugees. The Sacramento Street residents have an impromptu block party with their furniture on each front yard and individual fires for cooking and heat.
Both of the boys come to view their father differently after their strengths of survival and courage are revealed during the event. They liken their fathers to Marshall (Wyatt) Earp after the cowboy books they secretly read. Both refer to the relief they feel when seeing army soldiers, firemen and city hall members as they feel safer and the disaster is under control.
The author does a great job at illustrating historical aspects of the scene and city. For example, the horse pulled fire engines, and the newspaper metal characters strewn out front of the publishers house (p42-3). There is a simple geology lesson and detailed historical bits in chapters mixed throughout the book. The reader learns about plate tectonics, aftershocks, fires, and other effects such as water and gas line blows.
There are reoccurring references to the natural disasters as dragon-like. For example, "flames wag out of the windows like salamander tongues" (p42), "tongue of fire dances"(p48), "slithers across San Francisco like a dragon with red spines" (p71), "the fire seems like a living monster" (p81). Ah Quon refers to the earthquake as the Earth Dragon that is stirring.
There are not obvious contrasts due to ethnicity but the author makes a point to include the ethnicity of different families in the Nob Hill camp by what they are cooking. There are no Chinese names used for items, locations or food, other than mahjong and junk, and three characters names Chin, Ah Sing and Ah Quon. Otherwise there is little culturally significant facets to this story which neither helps or hinders the reenactment and historical context. The book is excellent for the intended audience and portrays an event that is rich, tragic, and done in interesting ways.
Review Excerpts
"But the story as a whole should appeal to reluctant readers. Its natural disaster subject is both timely and topical, and Yep weaves snippets of information on plate tectonics and more very neatly around his prose." Catherine Threadgill- School Library Journal
"Told in the present tense, the narration provides a "you are there" sense of immediacy and will appeal to readers who enjoy action-packed survival stories." Linda Perkins - Booklist
Connections
- Fire dragon/ by Benezra, Barbara. Summary: Separated from his family after the San Francisco earthquake, a young boy sharing the refugee-camp home of a Chinese family is compelled to re-examine his prejudices.
- Mind-hold/ by Belden, Wilanne Schneider. Summary: In the aftermath of a devastating earthquake, twelve-year-old Carson is responsible for his own survival and that of his spoiled younger sister, who despises him for partially sharing the mental powers that make her so dangerous.
- Disaster 1906; the San Francisco earthquake and fire/ by Dolan, Edward F. (juv nf)
Additional Information
- Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee
- "Mr. Yep is one of children's literature's most respected authors and a recipient of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for his body of work." http://harpercollins.com/authors/12929/Laurence_Yep/index.aspx?authorID=12929
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