Running Out of Night

My wife, Liz Krieger, a children's librarian for 38 years, and I wrote this review for my weekly history column in the San Luis Obispo County Tribune. We purchased three copies and had to buy eight more copies from Amazon to supply the eager readers at Hawthorne Elementary School where Liz volunteers: "A tall stand of orange-flowered jewelweed hummed with bumblebees. I yanked off a handful of the leaves and bent to the job of pickin off the knobbledly red fingers that circled the stem a few inches aboveground. "Emma looked on frog-eyed as I rubbed the jewelweed leaves and red fingers acrost my hands, neck, and face. "Gettin ready to pick some poison ivy. It don't never bother me, but I'm takin care jus in case it acts up on me this time." Lark is preparing one of the most appropriate acts of revenge in all literature against a slave bounty hunter in 1850's Northern Virginia. The poison ivy not only puts a "pox" on the bounty hunter, but proves to be an essential ticket for the Underground Railroad's escape toward freedom. Sharon Lovejoy's enthralling novel, Running Out of Night is the story of a motherless twelve-year-old white girl. Her "pa" and brothers call her "girl." She knows no other name and is forced to do their bidding as a starving servant. When "girl" encounters Zenobia, an escaped slave who has seen her own family separated and sold, the two bond. The girls run away together. Both understand that "girl" has a great advantage in the color of her skin, but share a life of misery. Hearing "girl" mimic the song of a lark, Zenobia names her after the bird. The pair are pursued by Pa, angry over the loss of "girl's" labor and eager for a large reward for a runaway slave of child bearing age. Soon other bounty hunters join the chase. All of Lark's and Zenobia's knowledge of the world of nature help the pair survive. They are finally given shelter in the abolitionist Quaker community of Waterford. Hidden from prying eyes in the basement and attic, both Zenobia and Lark heal under the care of Auntie Theodate, where they get to know Brightwell, another escaped slave. Lark discerns that Zenobia, Brightwell and Auntie Theodate are her real family, a circle of friends who love her. But Pa and the bounty hunters are relentless. Lark hears a terrible struggle in the house from her attic hiding place. When she comes down, she finds her new family missing. She is determined to rescue them. The novel is set in Northern Virginia near the Maryland border. It's the South, but the village of Waterford is a real place, proud of its heritage of abolitionism as a key stop in the Underground Railroad. Founded in 1733 by the Quaker Amos Janney, the village thwarted the Confederacy during the Civil War. Sharon Lovejoy is descended from these Quaker families along the banks of Catoctin Creek. The creek flows into the Potomac and is now receiving attention for its distilleries producing premium whiskey. Her "voices of the Catoctin" are authentic. Her personal knowledge of the local traditions and folklore make Running Out of Night an essential read for those interested in American history. Sharon is well known for the Heart's Ease, the herb and garden shop she founded in Cambria, as well as best-selling garden, nature and children's books. Her knowledge of plants and animals is integral to the plot, especially in Lark's, Zenobia's and Auntie Theodate's potions and antidotes. Incidentally, if you suffer from Poison Oak, our Western version of Poison Ivy, you can choose from at least 17 different brands of jewelweed soap and salves on Amazon. It does indeed removes urushiol, the invisible oil from plants which causes the contact dermatitis from Poison Oak. Count on Sharon Lovejoy for some terrific insights into human nature and the world around us in this fun read.

I read young adult fiction very selectively, but the immersion in this time period attracted me along with the idea of flight. The title itself makes me cringe and look over my shoulder. Still, I was amazed at how suspenseful and compelling from the get go Running...was . How each chapter ending made for a page turner that carried me forward . The combo of bedtime reading and short chapters enticed me long past bedtime on numerous nights! I, in fact, read Running out of Night while listening to the audible version of The Good Lord Bird by James McBride. Both speak from the voice of emerging adolescence one a girl and one a boy, leaving a childhood of poverty and hardship,using intelligence of all kinds to read people and the environment to tap into their inner resourcefulness in the midst harrowing of circumstances. The dialect used in both enhanced my understanding of the times and deepened my appreciation of the value of hearing the written word. Perhaps like poetry, some words are meant to be heard, particularly if getting into the dialect is hard. Im going to have my granddaughter start the book reading out loud. Running out of night is a story of both perseverance, and survival, and the amazing goodness that so often shows up just when you need it. I was left with a feeling of optimism and confidence that young people are so often so much wiser and more resilient at a younger age than we ever give them credit for..a lesson worth remembering as we l peer outwardly at the darkness and troubled times we see and hear about every day.I'm on the lookout for more young adult fiction that give insight into youthful resilience in difficult times.

"A bad beginning will often lead to a good ending."Ms. Lovejoy begins each chapter with a well-known local superstition or proverb. The setting is rural Virginia, and the story opens on an abused 12-year-old "Girl," whose father couldn't bother naming her. A runaway slave girl, Zenobia, shows up at Girl's house, and Girl decides to run away with her to escape her own wretched life. Zenobia has never heard of anyone not having a name, and christens her "Lark." Zenobia and Lark escape in the night, followed by slave trackers, Lark's pa and brothers, and their dogs.They soon find themselves on the Underground Railroad, brought vividly to life. What brave and incredibly moral people were these Quaker conductors!This riveting and often enchanting book was written for young adults/teens, but is eminently readable by any human being interested in the most evil chapters of American history. Sharon writes with uncommon grace and lyrical beauty, even in the saddest parts -- the wrenching stories of slave families torn apart and beaten into submission. Her knowledge of the natural world -- both flora and fauna -- shines through in the story, and indeed provide pivotal plot elements. You will never look at poison ivy in the same way again!This book is worth every minute of your time and attention. Both Lark and Zenobia join Scout in entering the canon of young girls with strength, character, spunk and wisdom beyond their years. You will never forget their story!

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