WORTH

1. Bibliography

LaFaye, A. 2004. WORTH. New York: Simon & Schuster Books. ISBN 0689857306

2. Plot Summary

Nathaniel Peale is a young man used to hard work on his family's farm. When he breaks his leg in a freak accident, he finds himself suddenly unable to walk, much less help to save the farm from foreclosure. In desperation, his father brings home a boy from the orphan train to take up the slack. John Worth was left orphaned after his family was killed in a tenement fire. With no one to care for him, he was sent out west on the orphan train to find a new family. The two boys get off to a very rocky start as John tries to adjust to farm life and, in turn, Nate tries adjusts to having his place along side his father filled by another boy. However, the two eventually find themselves working together to save the farm from the fence cutters plaguing the community. In the end, the two boys overcome their differences to become not just friends, but brothers.

3. Critical Analysis

Set on a small struggling farm in Nebraska in the late nineteenth century, this story highlights the difficulties faced by those who moved west to find land of their own. For example, it accurately depicts the land feuds waged between those wanting to use the land for crops and those needing more and more grazing room for large herds of cattle. "Herder meets homesteader. Like asking a cougar to dance with a bear" (LaFaye, 2004). It also illustrates the financial burdens suffered by so many of the families who seemed to always find themselves short when it came time to pay the land payment. This time in history was quite certainly a time of hardship and sacrificed and LaFaye has made that point quite evident in the story of the Peale family.

The style of the piece is largely episodic and lacking in emotion. While the reader may sympathize with Nate after his accident, LaFaye resists the urge to play on emotional appeal. Rather, the reader is encouraged to cheer for Nate as he regains his strength rather than wallow with him in his grief. The sole instance in which the reader may feel at pull at his/her heartstrings is when John collapses in tears at the memory of his lost Mother. John tells Mrs. Peale, "'I miss her till it chokes me.' Just like that he went from laughing to crying so hard he couldn't breathe" (LaFaye, 2004). Otherwise, the story progresses with little interruption of the main plot.

Finally, the characters in this piece are reminiscent of the hardworking folks that one would expect to find working a farm in the late nineteenth century. While education is deemed valuable, Nate does not attend school until after he is unable to work the farm because the future of the family rests on a good crop harvest. For many children of that day, education was sacrificed for the much needed extra hand in the fields. Also, we find that while Mrs. Peale is quite handy with fixing or "tinkering" (LaFaye, 2004), she must hide her skill and give credit to her husband. After all, no man would trust a woman to fix what he himself could not. This gender discrimination was quite common for some time even after the setting of this story. Overall, Lafaye has created a tale true to the time in history in which it was set and yet still likable for modern day kids.

4. Review Excerpts

Publisher's Weekly: LaFaye paints a realistic picture of the hardships for average families at the time the Orphan Train rode the rails. The author weaves in a subtle message about the power of story, as Nate builds a bond with John by reading him Greek myths out of a borrowed book.

Horn Book Magazine: Because the two boys are lonely and heartsick, we know they need each other long before they know it, but LaFaye's narrative largely resists the sentimentality of their coming together. Heroic stories of ancient Greek mythology and a violent feud being waged among Nate's neighbors both work in the boys' conciliation, giving this short tale a quietly epic as well as an ordinary sweep.

School Library Journal: The author convincingly conveys the boys' gradual realization of the value of one another's friendship. Other themes include the importance of reading and education, meeting challenges head on, relying on and playing a responsible role in your community, and recovering from loss.

5. Connections

* Other books by A. LaFaye
THE YEAR OF THE SAWDUST MAN
STRAWBERRY HILL
NISSA'S PLACE

* Other books about the Orphan Trains
CHILDREN OF THE ORPHAN TRAINS by Holly Littlefield
THE ORPHAN TRAINS: LEAVING THE CITIES BEHIND by Jeanne M. Bracken
WE RODE THE ORPHAN TRAINS by Andrea Warren