| Title | : | Black Dove White Raven |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 142318310X |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781423183105 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 368 |
| Publication | : | First published March 31, 2015 |
Emilia and Teo's lives changed in a fiery, terrifying instant when a bird strike brought down the plane their stunt pilot mothers were flying. Teo's mother died immediately, but Em's survived, determined to raise Teo according to his late mother's wishes—in a place where he won't be discriminated against because of the color of his skin. But in 1930s America, a white woman raising a black adoptive son alongside a white daughter is too often seen as a threat.
Seeking a home where her children won't be held back by ethnicity or gender, Rhoda brings Em and Teo to Ethiopia, and all three fall in love with the beautiful, peaceful country. But that peace is shattered by the threat of war with Italy, and teenage Em and Teo are drawn into the conflict. Will their devotion to their country, its culture and people, and each other be their downfall or their salvation?
In the tradition of her award-winning and bestselling Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein brings us another thrilling and deeply affecting novel that explores the bonds of friendship, the resilience of young pilots, and the strength of the human spirit.
Black Dove White Raven Reviews
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4.5*
Such an interesting time period to read about. Elizabeth Wein has such an amazing way with words. I didn't find this one quite as impactful as her other books but I did still really enjoy it! -
I will read anything this woman writes.
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One of the things I loved about this book was the setting, and the fact that it was in a location and time period I was unfamiliar with. World War II is a period of history where I like to think I'm well-informed on things around the world-- from an American standpoint, or the Holocaust, or the Nazis themselves, Hungary, Russia, Japan, wherever. Hitler and Mussolini are both in power in this book, but this involves the Italo-Ethiopian War, which is one thing (of many) I've never heard about. I'm not familiar with Ethiopia aside from the fact that it's the only African country to have never been colonized. And I'm familiar with the name of Haile Selassie. Other than that, I couldn't tell you a damn thing. So the premise intrigued me. And the Italo-Ethiopian War happened basically on the eve of WWII, since the war didn't start until 1939.
For some reason it's bizarre to me that racism existed in 1930s America. I have no idea why, it's probably one of those #FirstWorldProblems types of things. Or #WhitePrivilege, more like. Anyway, it seems like racism in American history mostly occupies the space between the 1950s-1960s in my mind, during the civil rights movement and all of that. So the initial fact that this broken and tied-together little family decides to leave Pennsylvania because of racism was a big wake-up call to me, reminding me that, yes, racism existed from the days of slavery and we're STILL seeing the repercussions. In 2015, we're still seeing repercussions from 200+ years ago. Why would the 1930s have been any better than today? So with that firmly in mind, the idea of going back to Teo's homeland (or more accurately, his father's homeland) sounded like a good idea.
Elizabeth Wein does relationships SO WELL in her books. Em and Teo feel like flesh-and-blood siblings, even though you know they aren't related in the slightest. It was similar to Code Name Verity's Julie and Maddie, where they had such an intense friendship that it felt like you were reading about sisters. The people in this book came to life whether they had been actual historical figures or not, and that's what I love about good historical fiction. You don't know until the end, when you see the author's note (and sometimes you never know, if there isn't one and you're not inclined to do research) who's real and who isn't, when the author writes so well. -
It seems like I say this with every book I read, but my review for Black Dove, White Raven was a difficult one to write. I had a lot of trouble separating my love for Wein’s previous books and my feelings for this one, so I think I have talked a load of nonsense. Anyway, read on.
So, I liked this one. Black Dove, White Raven was okay. Just okay. In comparison to Code Name Verity, which I have placed on a throne made of dismembered aeroplanes, it wasn’t great. But when I took a step back and really thought about it, I actually quite liked it. But it wasn’t up to Wein’s usual standard, unfortunately.
The main thing I felt Black Dove, White Raven was missing was the bond of friendship. Code Name Verity really set the standard for amazing friendships and blurred lines, and Rose Under Fire had a wonderful bond between a couple of characters. Black Dove, White Raven, however, missed the mark entirely. Yes, it was more about family than the other two books, but I didn’t feel a connection between Teo and Em at all. Which was weird, because they were the titular characters and were apparently this awesome team. But I didn’t feel anything for them at all when they were together.
It must be said though that separately these two characters were great. Em’s point of view, especially with her fear of flying, was wonderful to read, and I loved being inside Teo’s head as he first discovered his homeland, and then later as the war broke out.
I adore historical fiction so the setting was my favourite thing about this book. While I think Wein excels more when it comes to characters than describing the setting, I love that Black Dove, White Raven was set at a time in history that is rarely talked about. The Italo-Ethiopian war had a huge impact on what happened with Hitler and WWII, and yet it is barely talked about because it didn’t happen in Europe or in the USA. I really love the fact that Elizabeth Wein decided to explore those couple of years and the war itself some more.
All that said, I found Black Dove, White Raven to be an incredibly slow read. Yes, I was in a reading slump for the most part, and that undoubtedly had an impact on how much I enjoyed the book, but it still didn’t grip me. Mostly because the bond between friends wasn’t there, and it was unable to carry the story. The first half of the book is pretty much a set-up, and then the final 80% seems very rushed.
Anyway, I did enjoy the book, but I thought it could have been improved upon. I really liked the characters as individuals but their relationship was missing that spark for me. I loved all of the historical parts (which is a weird thing to say since it’s an historical fiction novel, I know) because, hello, history buff here. I would recommend picking it up, even though it’s a terrible shame that it doesn’t live up to the awesome that is Code Name Verity, or even Rose Under Fire. -
I received this free from the publishers via NetGalley
I loved that word: soulmate. We asked Grandma what it meant and she said, 'Two people who understand each other without talking about it. Two halves of a whole'.
Delia and Rhoda are female stunt pilots, one black and one white. They strive for a life where their gender or colour will not determine their life. A fateful accident kills Delia, Teo's mother. Rhoda wishes to live the dream for Delia and is determined to give a better life for Teo and moved to Ethiopia with her daughter Em. Both Teo and Em have to learn to adapt in a strange country, to learn a new language but they finally feel at home. Years later the family are at danger and are torn apart and separated by war and they try to make their way back to each other.
If any of you follow my blog you will probably already know what huge fan I am of Elizabeth Wein and her previous books Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire. So I was beyond excited to get accepted on NetGalley for Black Dove, White Raven, it is such a shame it took me so long to read it due to my life getting in the way. Just like Elizabeth Wein's previous books, this is a rich and powerful novel about family, friendship, hope and bravery.
Elizabeth Wein looks at both gendered and racial prejudices that Teo, Em, Delia and Rhoda experience in both USA and Ethiopia and I think she does it splendidly well. The characters were fantastically written - I never expected anything less - and were complex and their relationships were so well written and dynamic. That is definitely a strength of Elizabeth Wein, she can always write such realistic relationships and show that love that they all have for each other. I adored the relationship between Teo and Em, but also with Em's mother Rhoda. They were all so captivating together, but also individually.
The historical setting felt really well researched and so rich in detail. She doesn't sugarcoat the sacrifices and casualties of war, and the horrors which many people went through during the Italo-Ethiopian War.
While Black Dove, White Raven was not as heart-breaking and emotional as Code Name Verity, and probably not as captivating, I still found it to be a fantastic read. The start was fantastic and strong, as was the second half of the book, it started to get tense and exciting, but around 20%-50% the pacing was very slow, but it did not lessen my enjoyment.
Overall, I would definitely recommend for fans of Elizabeth Wein and Code Name Verity and those who have an interest in history and pilots and planes. -
It honestly does not come to a surprise that I loved Black Dove, White Raven so much. I mean, after Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire, there was no way I wasn't going to love this other historical fiction masterpiece.
Oh boy where do I start? Let's see. Well this particular story takes place mainly in Ethiopia, where things are getting more and more tense with Italy, a country that takes pride in attempting to colonize the last self-governed African country (in other words, invade them). But let's take a few steps back to when Teo and Emilia come into play.
Teo and Emilia are born to the original Black Dove and White Raven, Teo's mother Delia and Emilia's mother Rhoda. Both are amazing, stunt airplane flyers; performing acrobatic acts in the sky. But after a tragic accident that leaves Teo motherless, Rhoda takes him in, and then promises both him and Emilia that they will fulfill Delia's dream of moving to Ethiopia, Teo's homeland.
But with all of Wein's works, things take a turn for the worse. War starts, Emilia and Teo remain stuck in Ethiopia, their mother refuses to teach them how to fly. But even so, Emilia and Teo still hang on and they become the second generation of Black Dove and White Raven. AND MY HEART. Even though at first they were just drawing comics and making up stories, you could see how they portrayed themselves through their own characters, Black Dove and White Raven, so well. Teo just so badly wanted to remain invisible in America, and now that he's finally in Ethiopia, he can. Emilia is now the one who stands out, but she still aspires to be the master of disguise that White Raven is in the comics.
Can't handle them, my babies
Character development is gold. Absolute perfection. I was incredibly impressed with the way Emilia overcame all her fears and became her version of White Raven, and not just simply imitating her mother. Even though the story is narrated through both of Emilia and Teo's flight logs, the majority of it is from the perspective of Emilia.
Did I mention how badly I want to own a small plane now because of all of these books I've read by Elizabeth Wein? Well, I want one.
BUT NOT LIKE THIS HAHAH OH GOD
The only reason this isn't getting the full 5 stars from me is just because it didn't have as many feels as her other books. I know it's not fair to compare books by the same author, but I have high expectations haha. I mean I love love LOVE Emilia and Teo and would love to spend more time with them, but I definitely felt more with Code Name Verity and also Rose Under Fire. But man this novel was something. I'm kind of upset I haven't seen many reviews for this! Come on now.
I worship Elizabeth Wein. Write more please. Yes. Thanks. -
Ethiopia in the 1930's was no utopia. There was a nightmare at the heart of Ethiopian society from which it had yet to awaken. Teen protagonist Teo was caught up in that nightmare. He was trained to be a pilot and became quite accomplished. When he was sixteen his life took a terrible turn. I wept for Teo. His deceased mother wouldn't have even considered bringing Teo to Ethiopia if it had occurred to her that such a thing could happen to him.
I was captured by the originality and intensity of Black Dove, White Raven until Rhoda's husband, an Italian military pilot, did something that I considered unbelievable. It was against military regulations and wasn't consistent with the love and concern with which he had previously treated his daughter, Emilia. So it was both implausible and reprehensible. The spell that Elizabeth Wein had woven was broken for me at that point.
For most of this book, I thought it was the best novel that I'd read in the first half of 2015, but the out of character behavior of Orsino Menotti, Rhoda's husband, was significant. This is why it doesn't get a five star rating from me.
For my complete review see
http://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/20... -
Wein's lyrical writing and rich characters continue to impress in her latest novel. Wein does an excellent job of creating distinct voices for Em and Teo, and I enjoyed seeing their different perspectives on flying, faith, and life in Ethiopia. However, I had a hard time getting into this book. Until about half-way through, there wasn't as much tension as I would have liked. Once the pace picked up, I was hooked through to the end, but I would have preferred higher stakes earlier in the story. The book begins with Em's plea for help from the Ethiopian emperor, so we know there is some urgency, but that disappears quickly as we're drawn back in time and across the ocean to a segregated United States. Overall, the characters and setting kept me invested in the story, and I enjoyed learning more about a country and time period of which I had little prior knowledge.
Fans of the pacing in Wein's Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire may be disappointed, but those who enjoyed reading about early female pilots will like this story. I'd also recommend this for older fans of Kristin Levine's Lions of Little Rock as another title that looks at race relations as well as the value of family and friendship. -
A powerful and richly atmospheric novel of family, bravery and national identity. Emilia and Teo’s lives changed in an instant when a bird strike brought down the plane their stunt pilot mothers were flying, killing Teo’s mother. Em’s mother, determined to raise Teo in a place where he won’t be discriminated against because of the colour of his skin, brings Em and Teo to Ethiopia, where all three fall in love with the beautiful, peaceful country. But that peace is shattered in 1935 by war with Italy, and Em and Teo are drawn into the conflict.
Wein explores gendered and racial prejudice in 1930s America and Ethiopia through her two central characters, Em and Teo, and the ways in which they interact with each other and with the world around them. Em, who loves dressing up and play-acting, uses other people’s assumptions about her as a young American girl trapped in war-torn Ethiopia to her own advantage, while Teo, who prefers to stay invisible, finds himself thrown into the spotlight as one of Ethiopia’s few trained pilots. As their country is torn apart, both Teo and Em find themselves torn between the love they feel for their homeland and their frustration with Ethiopia’s outdated customs.
Like Wein’s other historical YA novels, Black Dove, White Raven is narrated as a series of written accounts - creative writing pieces, school assignments and flight logs from Em and Teo’s teenage years. Wein used this style masterfully in Code Name Verity, playing with the reader’s assumptions of who her protagonists were writing for - and for what purpose. But in Black Dove, White Raven, the reader is aware from the beginning of the story’s intended audience, and as such, unfortunately the exposition sometimes fell flat - ‘Verity’ writing about the British war effort for her captors made perfect sense, but Em and Teo documenting the political situation in Ethiopia in their flight journals occasionally seemed slightly inauthentic.
Nevertheless, Em and Teo’s story was captivating, and Wein’s novel beautifully and respectfully documents a fascinating era of Ethiopa’s turbulent recent past. Wein has fast become an author I’d read anything by, and I’m looking forward to learning what she’ll write next.
Many thanks to Electric Monkey for providing a copy of Black Dove, White Raven in exchange for an honest review. Black Dove, White Raven will be released on February 26th in the UK and March 31st in the US.
Publisher: Electric Monkey
Rating: 5 stars | ★★★★★
Review cross-posted to
Paperback'd -
The previous books I've read by Elizabeth Wein featured a fascinating mix of Arthurian legend and Ethiopian history, with a level of complexity and maturity unusual for the YA marketing label they were stuck with.
Therefore, I was immediately interested in her newest, 'Black Dove, White Raven,' which also has an Ethiopian setting, but takes place over the years following 1930 (the time of Haile Selassie's coronation.)
The book is in the format of an assemblage of writings by our two young protagonists, Emilia and Teodros, which we immediately learn is to be sent to Haile Selassie by Emilia as an appeal on behalf of Teo. Why is this appeal necessary and what is at stake? That's why we have to read the book...
The story starts with not Em and Teo, but Rhoda and Delia, their mothers. The two women, each with a young child, had a notorious daredevil barnstorming act; flying a biplane around the United States and doing daring feats of wingwalking. However, life as a 'mixed-race' performing act is tough in 1920's America. The two women form a dream of taking their show further afield - to Ethiopia, where the father of Delia's child hailed from.
When Delia is killed in a tragic accident, Rhoda adopts her son, and raises Teo and Em as siblings. After an interlude at her Quaker parents' farm, in the hope of escaping racism for Teo, she decides to follow Delia's dream and relocate to Ethiopia.
However, once there, not all is as dreamlike as hoped. A combination of a social and legal system 'out of the sixteenth century' and the threatened invasion by Italian forces mean the family's troubles have only started.
The book, although fictionalized, is a great look at a part of WWII (or, technically, the lead-up to WWII) that is often neglected (Mussolini's invasion of Ethiopia). It's also full of amazing details about the early days of flight and the strong and eccentric characters that many of the pilots of that time were.
As a matter of fact, I loved the barnstorming details so much that I left this book really wanting to read an 'adult' novel about the original 'Black Dove, White Raven' - Rhoda and Delia, their relationship, and how they formed their act and took it on the road. A prequel would be more than welcome!
Instead, this book focuses on the children. It's really well done. The book succeeds marvelously at depicting true familial love which endures even through suffering, and even though each person in the book is truly their own character, each with a different perspective on life and different goals and dreams.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book - as always, my opinions are solely my own. -
As seen on
The Quiet Concert
Black Dove, White Raven was a change of pace from Wein's two previous* novels, but I found it to be just as impactful, in its own way.
BDWR is the story of Em and Teo and their adventures together. They are inseparable because their mothers were inseparable, until a freak plane crash took Teo's mother, Delia, from them all. After Em's mother, Rhoda, pieces herself back together, she moves Em and Teo to Ethiopia, the birthplace of Teo's father and a place where her children can live free of judgment according to Delia's dream. But what should have been a simple but peaceful life ends up anything but when Italy decides to invade and the country is thrown into war.
BDWR is one of those books that sneaks up on you. What started as the musings of two children, telling their story by way of entries in their school theme books, ends up as a fight for survival, with the story continued through entries in their flight logs. The seriousness of this story escalates with every page. I was charmed in the beginning, because of the innocence with which this story read, but was beyond moved in the end due to the many acts of love, friendship, selflessness, bravery - you name it. Just like with both of Wein's previous novels, I shed tears for these characters and what they had to endure, some of which I never saw coming and completely broke my heart.
Em and Teo are going to stay with me for a long time, for who they are as individuals and as a team. They were good and true and loyal and they deserved the world. I loved how they drew strength from their alter egos, Black Dove and White Raven, when their world started crumbling around them. I loved how they put each other first, stood by one another, and knew exactly what the other was thinking. I loved their determination to stay together, driven by shear force of will. Everything about them warmed my heart.
Part of the what got my attention while reading this book is that it was historical fiction unlike any I have ever read. I know next to nothing about Ethiopia or its history so almost everything in this book was new to me. It was eye-opening, to say the least.
Oh, and did I mention that Wein's writing is beautiful? Well you may have gathered that already...
I will forever and always recommend Elizabeth Wein's books. Every single one has left a mark on me. Her stories are relevant. Her words are powerful. Her characters are inspiring. Bottom line, she is brilliant. -
Ugggh, I so wanted to like this one but it was just not my cup of tea. I will say that it was interesting to see a World War II story set in Ethiopia since I know absolutely nothing about Ethiopia and the war with Italy, so that was completely new to me. I just felt like there were long stretches where nothing much was happening and eventually I just didn't care enough to even finish it. I didn't like the format of the story, told through ridiculously detailed flight logs and short stories that Emmy and Teo made up together.
So. Not for me. But I would recommend it to teens and adults who enjoy historical fiction and would be interested in learning about Ethiopia and/or teens or adults who have a special interest in flying planes. -
The audiobook of Black Dove, White Raven was incredible. It is worth listening to over physically reading
Read my full review hereReview goes live 7/25/16 -
Prepare to go back in time to the 1930’s, when being a pilot was strictly a man’s world, and two women defied the gender and race barriers to become a dynamic duo in the heavens with their daredevil feats. One horrendous day, it all changed, two went up and only one came away alive in a freak crash that killed one of the finest pilots ever.
With Teo’s mother dead, Rhoda takes him in, determined he will live the life his mother wanted for him. Together with Emilia, her daughter, Rhoda journeys across the globe where Teo can grow up free to be proud of being a person of color. Together they discover the beauty that is Ethiopia, from its culture to its language, they embrace the freedom to be themselves, then Italy bares its fangs and war is imminent. Will Teo and Em be caught up in the hatred and fear? Will they be separated, never to find each other again? Will they find themselves having to choose what culture they will embrace as Teo’s talents for flying put him on the radar of the Ethiopian military? Will this country’s outdated customs become a stumbling block between Em and Teo or will their bond see them through? Can they make it back to each other?
There is a beauty in the writing style of Elizabeth Wein that shines through from the innocence of young Em And Teo to edgy and nervous tension that comes from Rhoda. Both Em and Teo have powerful voices that resonate with clarity as we are invited into their worlds. Ms. Wein clearly creates an historical atmosphere of a time when the color of one’s skin or their gender bring on huge limitations. Black Dove, White Raven is not a fast-paced action adventure, but rather a slice of the lives of two young people being pioneers in their own way during a time not quite ready to accept them for the value they provide for society.Written for young adults, there is the perfect amount of innocence and a wonderful portrayal of true friendship and loyalty against the odds.
I found these characters charming in their own way, adaptable to their environment and full of thought-provoking gems. Not for everyone, this tale of friendship, trust and acceptance will float through your mind long after that last page. 4.5 stars
Publication Date: March 31, 2015
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
ISBN: 9781423183105
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Print Length: 368 pages
Available from:
Amazon |
Barnes & Noble
Reviewed for:
http://tometender.blogspot.com
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(Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read the ARC!)
Elizabeth Wein books are the hardest books to review, because no words seem *good* enough to talk about her extraordinary characters, plots, or writing.
I read this solely on the strength of the author's previous works. The 20s & 30s are not "my" era. I have no particular interest in Ethiopia. On the surface, the plot as described in blurbs (stunt pilot friends, one black and one white, each have a child. One mother dies, the other attempts to raise both children as her own despite racial and financial obstacles) seems nothing like Wein's previous books, Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire. Would I have even picked it up if I hadn't been familiar with the author? Probably not.
And what a mistake that would have been. What I loved from CNV and RUF - it's all here. Focus on friendship, courage, bravery (what it means to actually be brave, not to FEEL brave), and of course, the thrill, joy, and terror of life in the air at the controls of an airplane.
I also really appreciated the thoughtful handling of religion. -
This is the first book by Elizabeth Wein I've read, but CERTAINLY not the last! SO great.
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The problem is I really want to have the experience of reading Code Name Verity for the first time again and I don't. It's an unfairly high bar.
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great characters and a great story set during a historical event not enough people know about. i love elizabeth wein's books!!
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Review copy: ARC via publisher
After reading Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire this book was automatically placed on my “Must Read” list. Elizabeth Wein has a way with historical fiction. This new addition to her Young Pilots Series centers around Ethiopia and its relations with Italy prior to World War II. I knew that Africa was part of the war, but that wasn’t a focus in my American history classes, so much of the politics and intrigue were new to me. Wein weaves in the history so readers aren’t totally lost, but she also managed to inspire me to research a bit during and after reading. I wanted to know more about this country that had avoided European colonization. I had to wonder if my history classes ever got into this conflict or if I just didn’t pay attention.
Beyond the setting, the characters were intriguing. In the beginning though, I found it difficult to keep up with everyone. The text is made up of letters, school essays, flight logs, and short stories. It’s meant to be a collection of information that will help persuade the Emperor of Ethiopia to help Em and Teo. The most difficult part for me was my need to have a chronology of some sort. I always wanted to know the ages of the writers so my mind could sort it all out, but things aren’t always in date order and it took a long time before an age was mentioned. Once I had that, I found myself always doing the math. Not all readers will have a need for that, but the first section of the book may be a bit confusing for some with multiple perspectives and seemingly random dates.
Em and Teo have been raised as brother and sister and are also best friends. Through childhood, they created stories of themselves as heroes. Teo is the Black Dove who can become invisible while Em is the White Raven and uses amazing disguises. They always have loving adults in their lives, but they are anchors for each other and are rarely apart.
While the political forces in the book are central to the story, there are other issues that come up too such as gender roles, religion, freedom, and courage. The main characters also explore what it is like to be the outsider in a community. In the U.S., their family didn’t always fit in because they were of different races. In Ethiopia, they have to learn the language and culture to try to fit in though Teo can visually blend in without any trouble.
Recommendation: Get it soon especially if you enjoy historical fiction. Black Dove, White Raven is interesting from start to finish – even the author’s note kept my attention. In the note, she quotes an Ethiopian proverb, “To lie about a far country is easy.” She explains that she did her best to avoiding changing or distorting history. Wein then provides a catalog of things that were true in the story and those that were fictional. Through it all, she brought Ethiopia to life and filled it with unique and memorable characters.
Extra: I can’t end this review without noting the difference between the U.S. cover and the one for the U.K. We got a title and a landscape. The U.K. has a focus on characters.
Review originally posted at Rich in Color
http://richincolor.com/2015/03/review... -
Emilia and Teo are the children of stunt flier duo Black Dove and White Raven – Teo’s mother Delia is Black Dove, and Emilia’s mother Rhoda is White Raven. After experiencing the racism of the American south in the 1930s, Delia dreams of moving Teo to Ethiopia, his father’s homeland, where he could have a chance to live without prejudice. When Delia is tragically killed in a flight accident, Rhoda carries on Delia’s dream and moves them to Ethiopia to live on a coffee cooperative and fly for a local clinic.
But war is looming in Ethiopia, with Italy poised to invade. Em and Teo find themselves trapped in the country they’ve come to love--and thrust into the war.
What I liked:
- It’s about a time and place I knew absolutely nothing about, so I learned a lot
- The twist at the 50% mark
- Delia and Rhoda. Loooved their characters. In fact, I was more interested in them than Em and Teo, especially Rhoda. I would read a book about her earlier life in WWI, becoming a stunt pilot, meeting Delia, getting married (and there must be more to the story there--I believe Rhoda was in love with Delia… were they best friends or romantically involved too?)
- Elizabeth Wein’s writing
What I didn’t like:
- Like Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire, Black Dove, White Raven is told through documents written by Teo and Emilia. In this case, they’re flight logs doubling as journals, school writing assignments and their “Black Dove White Raven” adventure stories. However, I don’t think it works quite as well as in the other books. The conceit comes off as forced and makes the narrative feels disjointed. I think the story could have been told just as well—maybe better—as a simple first person POV in alternating chapters for Teo and Em.
- Pacing. The threat of war steadily grows over the course of the book but it happens in fits and starts. It has a bit of a “hurry up and wait” feel.
Overall there were things I liked about Black Dove, White Raven but the main story arc and Emilia and Teo’s characters didn’t grab me as much as Wein’s other YA books.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. -
Started slow with lots of backstory, but soon enough, I fell in love with the story. Once again Wein delivers strong, charismatic female characters, marvelous flying scenes, evocative settings and surprising plot twists. I appreciated the racial diversity too. Disclosure: I'm friends with the editor, but I was already a fan of the author.
Full review on my blog:
http://blog.sarahlaurence.com/2015/04... -
Originally reviewed at
http://www.shaelit.com/2015/03/review...
Black Dove, White Raven (BDWR), first and foremost, is a book about family. Emilia Menotti and Teo Gedeyon are family, despite their different skin and lack of blood ties. Rhoda Menotti and Delia Dupré, Emilia's and Teo's mamas, were family through and through, both in the air flying their stunts and on the ground in Jim Crow America. When Delia dies, family means Emilia, Teo, and Rhoda moving to Ethiopia where Teo won't be shunned because of the color of his skin, and where Rhoda can fly and heal in equal measure. Family means sticking together when the Italians crowd the Ethiopian border, emboldened by Mussolini and the apathetic response from the League of Nations. Family means speaking with only a Nod, and staring into the teeth of war together, hand in hand.
I know when I pick up an Elizabeth Wein book, I am going to learn something. I don't learn something because her books are teaching books, full of lessons and morals solemnly handed down through mouthpiece characters. I learn because these books are alive. When I read Code Name Verity, I am in France, trapped in a Gestapo prison or hiding in a trunk, or in England, flying over a mist-veiled countryside. When I read Rose Under Fire, I am in the Ravensbruck concentration camp, sharing a thin bunk with three other girls and watching the clouds float by during roll call. And when I read Black Dove, White Raven, I am in Mennonite Pennsylvania, attending air shows and riding trick ponies, and I am in pre-WWII Ethiopia, running barefoot across a coffee plantation and bidding friends selam and tafash. I learn because I am there. I learn because these are real people, living and breathing in real places, and I cannot help but be lost in their lives.
BDWR is a book that breathes history. The story is told through journals, flight logs, school essays, and fictional adventures, bound together by Emilia and given to the Emperor of Ethiopia. The first forty pages or so of the book take place in the American Heartland in the 1930s. It's all air shows, Mennonite farms, and life on the road with Black Dove and White Raven, two ladies with guts of steel, and their kids. It's also segregation and discrimination, no place for a little black boy with a white sister, so Rhoda packs up the kids and moves them to Ethiopia, Teo's ancestral home.
Ms. Wein first visited Ethiopia in the Lion Hunters series, and returning felt beyond strange and wonderful. If you've read LH, you'll find little moments to make you sigh with pleasure. If you haven't, what a treat you're in for. Progressive, unconquered Ethiopia, where the Ark of the Covenant is said to reside, where everyone walks in bare feet, where black men fly airplanes and emperors own lions. What better place for a story?
Tazma Meda is so far removed from any place I've ever experienced, but I felt like I was there with Emilia and Teo. I could feel the pride of the Ethiopian people, the only African land to remain uncolonized by a European nation, and the faith, too, in this ancient and deeply religious place. So much of this story seems to be told out of sheer love for the country, much in the same way we see England depicted in Code Name Verity. We see it from the air—the lands turned green after the rain; the grassy, windswept tableau of Delia's Dream; Aksum, nestled between the mountains and crowned with graves; and the high, wide spread of amebas, dotted with bearded vulture nests. We also see it from the ground, through the twisting, changing maze of Addis Ababa, the cool, painted walls of the chapel of St. Kristos Samra, and the honeycombed Beehive Hill. Love for Ethiopia—both the author's and the characters'—pours from every line.
But as with all Ms. Wein's other works, no depiction is left unbalanced. Progressive, modern Ethiopia is also a land of its own discrimination. Slavery is being ushered out, but some citizens born before the changing of the law remain in bondage, doomed by their age and their bloodline. Teo is seen as a future warrior of Ethiopia, but Emilia is a girl, good for medicine and baby-rearing, not spear-throwing. In her own words:Equality comes in different forms, and it is a lot harder being a girl in Ethiopia than it was in Pennsylvania.
BDWR is also a book about war, though more indirectly than Ms. Wein's other books. Emilia and Teo are not soldiers. They are not even adults. They are civilian children, and though that will mean little in years to come, it means enough in the beginning of the Italo-Ethiopian War. The menace in this story is subtle, the shadow of Italian invasion hovering over everyday things like school lessons and flight plans, the tension of the future spoiling evening meals and trips to the city. We know what's to come in this war and the next, but Teo and Emilia don't, and it's hard to say who suffers worse. And when the first blow of war does come, it arrives in full force. For all Ms. Wein's books engage in war, war itself is never glorified. Combat is full of breathless, daring moments, but also it is brutal, it is ugly, and it hits the innocents the hardest. War, at its root, is an injustice perpetrated by the strong upon the weak. If you're expecting the trademark Wein twist to the gut, this book does not fail to deliver.
But BDWR is also a book of hope. CNV and RUF had very clear, definitive statements that served as their themes. ("I have told the truth" and "I will tell the world," respectively.) BDWR's statement is less defined, less prominent, but I think the entire book can be summed up in Emilia's words from her very first letter:I have nothing to lose. I am going to dare it. I will aim for the sun.
Emilia and Teo aim for the sun. They strive to rise above the horrors of war and the injustice of discrimination. They fly both physically and metaphorically, bolstered by hope and faith. Airplanes play a huge role in this book, of course, but faith has a part to play as well, be it faith in God, faith in the lift of an airplane's wings, or faith in each other. What's more beautiful than that?
Favorite Non-Spoilery Quotes:"You just have to be careful with Momma for a while," Teo told me. "She's broken. Like a jug with a broken handle that you try to glue back together. It looks all right, and it'll still hold water. It's still a good jug. But you better not ever try to pick it up by the handle. You have to wait for the glue to dry, and even then it might not hold."
---Emmy and I are still Habte Sadek's favorite foreigners, and it is all because I wanted to look at his feet when I was eleven years old! But it never hurts to be polite to people.
---Spiderwebs joined together can catch a lion.
---"Teach your boy to fly, and he will be safe from spears and antique rifles."
"I don't want him to go to war at all!"
"When it comes, you will have no choice. The only way to save him is to lift him above the crowd."
---"Black Dove, let's write. Let's work on a story. Let's work on Glassland."
"Make me a prisoner in the Fortress of Clarity."
"Got to rescue you."
---But while they stayed down, rolling around and trying to kill each other, Em jumped to her feet.
Her costumes sometimes have little finishing touches that no one can see. She hadn't told me about this one.
---"Don't you ever do that to me."
"You know you'll never make as much of a fool of yourself as Horatio Augustus. So I won't have to."
Points Added For: The subtle nods to the other books, the gorgeous prose, the tender relationships, the horrors of war, the joys of flight, making me want to visit Ethiopia, making me hungry for Ethiopian food, non-crazy Christians, that shot to my heart (TWICE), the hand squeezes, the Nod, Uncle Mateos, Sinidu, Colonel Billy Cooper, the firefight and Em's bravery.
Points Subtracted For: At most, I wish the story'd had more bite to it, and a few sequences left me a bit confused. But otherwise, I'm good.
Good For Fans Of: Elizabeth Wein's other books, flight, early 20th century history, books set in non-American/European countries, books about family.
Notes For Parents: Language, death, racism, sexism, warfare.
Note: I received a review copy of this title from the publisher for review consideration.
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One thing I loved about this book is that it's about two female stunt pilots, something I've never read about before. A tragedy occurs which changes the course of life for one of them in particular. After that happens, the other one moves to Ethiopia with her daughter. That in itself would be traumatic, I would think, for most people due to being in a new country, learning a new culture and language and so on. I also love historical fiction, which is this book's genre. I thought the historical details and the writing were both very well done. A war between Ethiopia and Italy was covered and the horrific details of what occurs in wars was also covered and done well.
I'll definitely read more of Elizabeth Wein. -
Wein has a real talent for writing. Black Dove White Raven is well written book and each character has a developed personality. I loved the setting too, it is different and new. This is probably the first book I've read that is set in Africa. This is also one of the few historical fiction books I've read that is not set during WW2. Overall, it was a great book, it definitely is exciting and new.
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I so wanted to love this book. How could I not when
Code Name Verity is one of my absolute favorite books of all time? The reality is that it was a struggle for me to engage with and took me weeks (with other books mixed in) to finally finish.
Part of the problem for me was the pacing. This isn’t a fast-paced book, especially for a YA book. Now, realistically speaking, I’m not sure how many of Elizabeth Wein’s fans are actual young adults anyway. Most the of the readers I know who loved Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire are adults. BUT this is marketed for teens, and I’m afraid it doesn’t have a lot of teen appeal. If it’s not assigned reading, I don’t see a lot of kids picking this up or finishing it if they do. Maybe that’s more of a publishing issue than one of writing, but it’s going to be an issue in terms of sales and in terms of reader expectations.
But even if this book had been published for adults with less an expectation of page-turner pacing, I would have been bored by the first half. I think it’s meant to build the characters of Emmy and Teo so that when the events of the second half unfold we are well invested, but it didn’t work for me. It just felt like nothing was happening. The characters felt unfortunately flat.
I think another issue for me was simply believability of the format. Wein once again wrote this in an epistolary format, but this time I found it hard to buy into. The early entries were written as assignments for a teacher (when there was one …) at Emmy’s and Teo’s co-op “school” and most of the others as flight log entries. But the level of detail, though often admitted by the writer (alternately Emmy and Teo) as being too much information, is just unbelievable. It’s too prominent, and takes the readers out of the action making them think too much about who is speaking and to whom and why. I think the flow would have been much better with just alternating first person narration.
My other two big issues are with the story itself. First, Rhoda. I know we often see less than stellar parenting in YA novels (it allows the kids to take center stage and make their own way), but she was just inexcusably selfish and ineffective. I just can’t understand a mother who can leave her children for two years, drag them off to a less-than-safe place with no possibility of education on whim to do with little else than the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants dream of a dead woman, and who doesn’t even take reasonable measures to keep them safe once it’s clear that war is breaking out. I just couldn’t find any sympathy for Rhoda, and that hurt the story for me.
The other issue has to do with the era described vs the era and political climate in which we currently live. I think we’re supposed to be shocked and horrified to find out
Overall, despite all of the above, it isn’t a bad book. It’s well-written, of course. It shows a part of the lead-up to WWII that I knew nothing about and found really interesting. The relationship between Emmy and Teo was beautiful. The ending was fairly satisfying. But I put it down feeling distinctly underwhelmed. I can’t help but compare it to Code Name Verity, and once I’ve had my heart ripped out and trampled on by this author’s passionate storytelling ability and come to love characters that she’s created to the point that I almost forget that they’re not real, I find it hard to expect anything less. -
When Goodreads told me that there was a historical fiction book set in 1930s Ethiopia, I knew I needed it. When I found out that it was written by the same author who wrote Code Name Verity, I knew that I needed it immediately.
If you’re looking for a story with strong female characters, check this one out. It starts with two female stunt pilots, Rhoda and Delia, who may be closeted lesbians, but their relationship isn’t completely clear. (It is the 1930s, after all.) They run an air show called Black Dove, White Raven and travel around the world doing stunts in their plane. They also each have a kid. Em is Rhoda’s daughter, and Teo is Delia’s son. They’re raising the kids together as siblings, even though they look nothing alike. Em is white and Teo is black. The unconventional family is thrown into chaos when Delia is killed in a plane accident. Rhoda decides to move to Ethiopia with the kids because that was Delia’s dream, and being an interracial family is easier there. At first, the kids love Ethiopia, but when Italy invades their new home, Em and Teo are drawn into the war.“I have nothing to lose. I am going to dare it. I will aim for the sun.” – Black Dove, White Raven
I have to admit that I had huge (and probably unrealistic) expectations for this book, and it didn’t completely live up to them. Honestly, I was bored for the first half of it. The story is told in diary format from Em and Teo’s points-of-view, and it took some time for me to get into the writing style. For a young adult book, it’s quite slow and dense. There isn’t much dialogue. There isn’t much action. There are descriptions of planes and flying. It just didn’t hook me. This is probably more my fault than the book’s. If I had to make a list of things I don’t care about, airplanes would be on it.
For me, everything got much better when the characters arrived in Ethiopia. Suddenly, I was motivated to pick up the book. I couldn’t get enough of it. The story taught me about a place and a part of history that I knew very little about. I loved seeing Ethiopia through Em and Teo’s eyes. It’s a country with a complicated history and a fascinating culture. Africa is full of danger, but the kids were free to be themselves there. They didn’t have that same freedom in the US.
I also like the themes. The book is about colonization and where people belong. Where is “home”? Em and Teo grew up traveling around the world with their mothers. They don’t have a real home until they move to Ethiopia. But, do they belong there? Or are they just as bad as the Italians who are trying to invade the country and take it over? Ethiopia is where Em and Teo live, but they don’t consider themselves Ethiopian. So, is home where you were born? Where you have citizenship? Where you’ve spent the most time? Or, is it the place you’re drawn to most?“I wish you could go through life without ever caring about anything, without ever getting attached to people and dreams and inaccessible places. It just makes you sad when you can never go back.” – Black Dove, White Raven
The most interesting part of the book is actually the author’s note at the end. The research that went into this novel is astounding. I’m impressed that Elizabeth Wein was able to blend fiction and reality so seamlessly.
I guess I have mixed feelings about this one. I appreciate the strong female characters and the research. The story focuses on a family instead of on romance, which I always like. Getting past the slow plot was a struggle, though. I expected more from this book, but I learned a lot, so that made up for the difficulties. I think.“Things became more civilized all of a sudden. Coffee does that. Or maybe it is women who do that.” – Black Dove, White Raven
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Elizabeth Wein combines the WWII setting of CODE NAME VERITY and ROSE UNDER FIRE with the Ethiopian setting of her last four Lion Hunter novels in a book that is sure to please her fans new and old.
BLACK DOVE, WHITE RAVEN beings with a letter from Emilia to the Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie asking for him to grant her brother Teodoros a passport. What follows are the diary entries, flight logs, and stories they wrote together, the evidence Em sends to the emperor that Teo deserves his help leaving the country. This letter is the first of many indications that the idyllic way Em and Teo's story starts is sure not to last.
Em and Teo were raised together by Rhoda (Em's mother) and Delia, two barnstormers, until Delia's tragic death due to a bird strike. They emigrate to Ethiopia to escape the racism in the US, because it was where Teo's dad was from, and because Delia dreamed of all of them living there together. For the most part it is a happy life, although Momma refuses to teach them how to fly. But there are rumors of invasion, that the Italians are going to try to take over the only African country that was never colonized. Staying in the country becomes ever more dangerous for the half-Italian Em and her mother, and for Teo, who is just old enough to be conscripted.
BLACK DOVE, WHITE RAVEN builds up the intensity slowly. About halfway through the novel there is an awful, life-changing reveal that kicks everything into a higher gear. I loved the slow dread of what was to come, the hints of war on the horizon and their mother's careless optimism putting the family in a dangerous situation. Throughout it all, there's the infallible relationship between Em and Teo, who never regard each other as anything less than siblings no matter how outsiders treat them.
I also liked how deeply Wein delves into the details of the setting. The first half portrays everyday life, the clothes, the flashy church, the minutiae of learning to fly. The second disrupts that. Throughout the novel, good and bad things are shown about both the Ethiopians and the Italians. For instance, the Ethiopians are still in the process of ending slavery and the Italians commit war crimes such as using mustard gas. I knew very little about the the setting of BLACK DOVE, WHITE RAVEN before I started reading the novel, and I was horrified by many of the events that really happened. Wein provides a detailed author's note about the actual history and the liberties that she took for the story.
BLACK DOVE, WHITE RAVEN isn't as brutal of a reading experience as CODE NAME VERITY or ROSE UNDER FIRE, but it is still not for the faint of heart. It's a wonderful portrayal of how children get caught up in war through no fault of their own. It's also a wonderful portrayal of family and community and how humans seek out a place for themselves. I'm definitely still a fan. -
**I received this book for free from (Disney-Hyperion) via (NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!! This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**
*Genre* Historical Fiction
*Rating* 3.5-4
*My Thoughts*
Black Dove, White Raven is the third novel by Elizabeth Wein that I have read. The previous two were Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire which both featured brave female pilots. Once again, Wein writes her story with World War II as the background. This time around, she breaks down the cultural barriers between whites and blacks with a moving story that is important to today's society, and also shows that there really is a world of differences between what is expected from both races as well as both genders.
*Full Review posting @ Gizmos Reviews 04/14/2015* Link to Follow
*Recvd via NetGalley 01/27/2015* PUblished: March 31st 2015 by Disney-Hyperion -
This book is smart and gripping and unlike anything else I've ever read, except perhaps for Elizabeth Wein's other excellent books. I loved Emilia and Teo and the powerful sibling bond between them; I loved the rich, evocative descriptions of Ethiopia in the 1920s and the upheaval and conflict there, which I had known very little about before I read the book; I loved the way Wein interwove real historical people and events with characters and incidents from her own imagination to make the story even more plausible and compelling. The story develops at a slow and thoughtful pace, but I never found it dull or felt the temptation to skip ahead. It also made me want to go back and reread all of Wein's earlier books about Aksum, just to compare the ancient and modern views of Ethiopia... And, of course, to reacquaint myself with Telemakos, Athena and all the wonderful characters Wein created in that series.
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Black Dove, White Raven tells the story of Emilia and Teo, two adopted siblings, raised in both America and Ethiopia during the 1930s. Emilia's mother and Teo's mother were best friends and two halves of a stunt-flying duo, but when Teo's mother dies he's adopted into Emilia's family and they move to Ethiopia. Teo's father is from there. But war with Italy starts brewing, ultimately forcing them to flee the country.
The story is told through a framing device that...just...really irritated me. In the very first chapter Emilia is writing to the king of Ethiopia asking for help getting Teo out of the country, and then includes a bunch of writing assignments they did in school because...reasons. Writing assignments that just so happen to conveniently be written in a very story/narrative format and cover every aspect of their lives from childhood up to present day. Wow, how convincing. I really hate framing devices like that, because there would be nothing lost if you just take it out, but putting it in just serves to distract me throughout the book.
Added to that it's a very slow story but I didn't get the impression anything was added by that slowness. It's mostly due to the overabundance of descriptions and the extremely long time period covered, rather than any sort of contemplative dive into the characters or situation. The writing is still lovely, of course, but a lovely description of making coffee is still just making coffee. (Granted, I'm not saying there's no character or setting or racism commentary, just that...that's not what's padding out the pages.)
