After My Brother Sam
This is a sequel to the 1974 Newbery Medal honor book My Brother Sam is Dead, by the present author and his brother Christopher. That book, set in Connecticut during the Revolutionary War, ended with the death of Tim’s brother Sam. Sam had fought for the Patriots but was executed for supposedly stealing cattle. This volume begins immediately after, as Tim and his mother claim Sam’s body to give it a proper burial. Tim now must shoulder the responsibility of helping his mother run the family tavern. Tim is confused about which side of the conflict to avenge himself on: both the Redcoats and Patriots had a hand in Sam’s execution. On a trip to New York to buy supplies, Tim encounters Becky, a runaway escaping her cruel mother, who tags along with Tim back to Connecticut. Then Chauncy, a drifter and con man, imposes himself on the family and intends to coerce Tim’s mother into signing ownership of the tavern over to him.
Fans of the first book, which some schools censored, will definitely want to find out what happened to Tim after Sam’s death. Collier makes it clear that civilians had mixed feelings about the war and Tim wasn’t alone in vacillating over which side to support. Readers will get a vivid idea of what wartime conditions were like for noncombatants during the Revolution. I’m afraid I felt that the plot lacks the emotional impact of the first book. I think Collier intended Chauncy to be an amusing wastrel, but I found his character and the children’s lengthy attempts to foil him more tiresome than funny. Tim’s change of attitude in the last few pages did not ring true to me. It’s a mixed bag of a sequel, aimed at ages 10-14. A timeline and discussion questions are included.
