Easy to read with lovely photographs. Incredibly frustrating though, because there was so little depth. I wanted to know more about just about everything!

Why did she go to Haiti? How did the APP gain power? What was happening in the USA? Tell me more about the helpful people in Canada. How did Julian survive? What happened to his housemates? Why did he fall in love with Celia? Why did Radley's Mom write that last letter and then not mail it? i just needed way more backstory.

Nice thoughts about motherhood. ( )

How did Karen Hesse KNOW, in 2012, what fears we would end up facing in 2017?

I first read "Out of the Dust", an incredible historical poem by Hesse. An incredibly unique way to tell a story.

And with "Safekeeping", Hesse once again gives us a compelling tale, with a completely different theme, that is magnified by the addition of poignant photos. ( )

Radley is in Haiti when a militant group overthrows the US government. She’s been working at an orphanage and decides to get back home to find her parents. Once back in the US she realizes that things are very different. Her parents are not at home and she decides to head north to find them.

This is what I would call a current dystopian. It feels much more realistic than [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)|Suzanne Collins|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358275334s/2767052.jpg|2792775] or [b:Divergent|13335037|Divergent (Divergent, #1)|Veronica Roth|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328559506s/13335037.jpg|13155899]. It could really happen. But for all of the realness, Safekeeping is a gentle tale. One of survival, friendships forged, lessons learned, and hope. Interspersed with Karen Hesse’s own haunting photos, Radley’s search leads her to more than just answers; she finds purpose.

This book is filled with actual pictures, making it a short read, yet Karen Hesse’s lyrical writing draws the reader wonderful word pictures to add to the visual imagery. On page 37, “Now the statue, green with age, rages as only bronze can, in cold frustration.”
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Although billed as a YA story, I think Safekeeping by Karen Hesse would appeal far more to adults than teens. This story of a world “gone wrong” doesn’t feature romance, daring actions or adventure. Instead it is a quiet story of one young woman who returns to America from her volunteer job in Haiti to be with her family after the assassination of the President of the United States and the government takeover by the right wing American People’s Party. She arrives home to a changed America of vigilantes, strikes, and police raids. She also finds her parents missing. She decides that her parents may have struck out north for Canada and feeling like she is in danger, she also sets out north and crosses into Canada.

Along the way she befriends another young woman who is travelling north with her dog and they decide to stick together. Once in Canada they find a small abandoned schoolhouse and make it their home. As they scavenge for food, they find that they have a benefactress from a neighbouring farm who leaves them supplies that ensure their survival. After a number of months pass, it looks like America is stabilizing so our main character returns home to find her parents.

This book feels very personal to the author who enhances the story with her own photographs of the Vermont countryside. The story is rather depressing and I was sorry that there wasn’t more detail about how the conditions in America were allowed to happen. As a Canadian though, I was happy to see my country shown as a sanctuary. The story is beautifully written but I felt this complicated plot needed more political background. The author does ensure that the ending although rather abrupt, leaves the reader with a sense of hope for the future. Overall, although I personally loved this story, there are flaws that I am not sure could be overlooked by most people. ( )

What happens when a radical political party takes control of the United States government? Radley, who is volunteering at an orphanage in Haiti, finally decides to return home after the president is assassinated, and things take a turn for the worst. Telling herself that when she is home with her parents things will be okay, she hops on a plane. Instead, she finds herself alone without a cell phone or money in a military state complete with curfews and restrictions on state to state travel. Unable to find her parents, or anyone she can trust, she makes her way to Canada. Hesse offers a thought provoking what-if story about friendship in adversity.

Katie Z. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.

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