Sarny: A life remembered by Gary Paulsen

Sequel to Nightjohn. This is everything that happens after Nightjohn leaves. It begins in 1930 with Sarny looking back over her life and thinking about her life.

Sarny takes us through her loves, children, liberation and the frantic search that she sends herself on during the fighting of the Civil War. Instead of heading north away from the battles, she heads south – you’ll have to read it to find out why.

Despite all the terror and horror of war that she lives through, she has many opportunities later in life. But she remains true to her character – following on from what Nightjohn has taught her – that education is everything for her people – no matter what.

Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen

A very short but incredibly powerful novel about slavery in the Southern States of America before the Civil War. Nighjohn comes onto the property and teaches Sarny, a twelve-year old girl, how to read. The cruelty of the era is out there for you to read about. It is incredible to believe that such suffering was inflicted on one group of human beings, simply because of the colour of their skin.

Nightjohn knows that the only way that things will change is if the slaves can read and learn. The sequel Sarny is even more interesting.