The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages

The Green Glass Sea
Ellen Klages

Klages, Ellen. 2006. The Green Glass Sea. New York: Viking Publishers. ISBN: 9780670061341.

World War II was a time of love and loss, strife and empowerment. Throughout the course of The Green Glass Sea, protagonist Dewey Kerrigan experiences all of those emotions, plus many more. Her story starts when she is reunited with her father in Los Alamos, NM, where he is a scientist. Dewey is a smart, shy, keeps to herself teenage girl with a penchant for building gadgets. The antagonist of this story, Suze Gordon, makes it point to make life miserable for Dewey on a fairly regular basis. It is only after Dewey’s father has to go to Washington D.C., and Dewey has to move in with the Gordon’s that we see a change come over both of them. The story ends with the death of Dewey’s father and her eventual integration into the family of the Gordon’s. It is here that she finds her place and voice in the world she lives.

The characters of this novel are very well rounded and versatile. The character of Dewey is the strongest and the reader grows with her as the story moves. She (and Suze) exhibit the typical emotions and characteristics on any pre-teen or teenage girl regardless of what decade they are living in. Reader will find it very easy to identify with Dewey, regardless of her self-imposed gawkiness. She has had to grow up fast and she is comfortable with herself and has no wish to change. Suze is also a character that is easy to identify with. Opposite of Dewey she wants nothing more than to fit in and be liked. She finds it hard to discover her real self, while constantly trying to be someone she is not. It is through her and Dewey’s friendship that she finds who she is supposed to be and not be afraid of it.

Plot and setting are very similar in this young adult historical novel. Living during WWII was both a time and a place. The plot centers on Los Alamos, NM and the secrecy of the Manhattan Project. The setting is exactly the same. Not overwhelmed with details, the reader has a sense of what it might have been like to live in a place that was not supposed to exist. With vivid descriptions of the Santa Fe area and the blast site, the reader can picture in their minds eye what it may have been like during this time. The time and place are very explicit as this was a huge part of the end of WWII.

The themes in The Green Glass Sea center on family and its importance in a young person’s life. Dewey only had her father to lean on and when he dies she is left an orphan. Suze has a strong family unit with both parents present and loving. When Dewey’s father dies she has no place else to turn. After running away because she fears no one wants her, she is found and invited to join the Gordon’s as a member of their family. This restores some of the faith that Dewey has lost, and also makes for an important theme of the book. Another theme that runs through the book is the universal theme of right and wrong. Many of the characters struggle with this, both Suze for her bullying, and her parents for taking part in a scientific discovery that could destroy the world. They are constantly struggling with their inner demons and how to avoid letting them rule their lives.

Ellen Klages has a very strong style of writing. Her characters are bold and her descriptions are vivid. She is able to capture the feelings that existed during WWII completely in her characters. She weaves a tale that is an important part of history into fictional characters and makes you believe they actually existed. Using real people and events in her fictional account also helps the validity of the story. She thoroughly researched her facts and left nothing to be desired in her balance between fact and fiction. Including a bibliography and authors note lend to the historical nature of her book.

This book was nominated and won many awards. Some of those include winner of the 2007 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction, winner of the 2007 New Mexico State Book Award, finalist for the 2007 Locus Award, and Finalist for the 2007 Quill Awards. The reviews are also stacked in favor of this historical novel.

Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“The two outcasts reluctantly come together when Dewey's father is called away to Washington, D.C., and Dewey temporarily moves in with Suze's family. Although the girls do not get along at first (Suze draws a chalk line in her room to separate their personal spaces), they gradually learn to rely on each other for comfort, support and companionship. Details about the era-popular music, pastimes and products-add authenticity to the story as do brief appearances of some historic figures including Robert Oppenheimer....the author provides much insight into the controversies surrounding the making of the bomb and brings to life the tensions of war experienced by adults and children alike.”

School Library Journal
“After the atomic bomb test succeeds, ethical concerns of both youngsters and adults intensify as the characters learn how it is ultimately used. Many readers will know as little about the true nature of the project as the girls do, so the gradual revelation of facts is especially effective, while those who already know about Los Alamos's historical significance will experience the story in a different, but equally powerful, way.”

Being such a well thought out and provoking novel, it lends itself naturally to extra activities. One of the great traits of both Dewey and Suze is their ability to express themselves through art and inventions. Using scraps found in the junkyard they both create things that speak to their inner selves. This type of activity is great for a classroom. Using objects found either at craft stores or from a junkyard allow children or group members to create their own objects using only their imaginations. Writing a story or poem about their creation will give the project wings and allow children to express themselves however they see best.