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    Moon Over Manifest
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    Moon Over Manifest
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    Moon Over Manifest
    Audiobook9 hours

    Moon Over Manifest

    Written by Clare Vanderpool

    Narrated by Jenna Lamia, Cassandra Campbell and Kirby Heyborne

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    2011 NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER

    The movement of the train rocked me like a lullaby. I closed my eyes to the dusty countryside and imagined the sign I’d seen only in Gideon’s stories: Manifest—A Town with a rich past and a bright future.

    Abilene Tucker feels abandoned. Her father has put her on a train, sending her off to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. Armed only with a few possessions and her list of universals, Abilene jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas, aiming to learn about the boy her father once was.

    Having heard stories about Manifest, Abilene is disappointed to find that it’s just a dried-up, worn-out old town. But her disappointment quickly turns to excitement when she discovers a hidden cigar box full of mementos, including some old letters that mention a spy known as the Rattler. These mysterious letters send Abilene and her new friends, Lettie and Ruthanne, on an honest-to-goodness spy hunt, even though they are warned to “Leave Well Enough Alone.”

    Abilene throws all caution aside when she heads down the mysterious Path to Perdition to pay a debt to the reclusive Miss Sadie, a diviner who only tells stories from the past. It seems that Manifest’s history is full of colorful and shadowy characters—and long-held secrets. The more Abilene hears, the more determined she is to learn just what role her father played in that history. And as Manifest’s secrets are laid bare one by one, Abilene begins to weave her own story into the fabric of the town.

    Powerful in its simplicity and rich in historical detail, Clare Vanderpool’s debut is a gripping story of loss and redemption.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJun 28, 2011
    ISBN9780307968159
    Unavailable
    Moon Over Manifest

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    Reviews for Moon Over Manifest

    4/5

    561 ratings80 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the way that Abilene in 1936 was connected with the stories of Jinx in 1917/1918. It was fun to learn as she learned, and it was great getting the perspectives on was times, prohibition, mining towns, and just plain being a kid.
    • 3/5
      I liked this book, especially how everything came together at the end. I thought it got a little slow in the middle, but it was good enough and had a good message. I would recommend it to other people.
    • 4/5

      "The only way I could give back was to be faithful to the story. To hear it to the end. I would be faithful. Even if it crushed me. "
      I loved this book.
    • 4/5
      Reading the synopsis of Moon Over Manifest convinced me that I should read the 2011 Newbery Medal winner. After doing so, I'm kind of surprised that it won the big prize although it is a charming book. To me the plot seemed pretty transparent, but perhaps for its intended audience, it is not. However, it as still an engaging read, and I very much enjoyed getting to know the characters and watching their relationships evolve and unfold. I'll not bother with a synopsis of the plot as I see that has already been done extensively in other reviews. Suffice it to say that the device of portraying Manifest, KS in both 1918 and 1936 worked very well and made for a fun read. If you enjoy children's literature and historical novels, then you will surely like this book.
    • 3/5
      Felt a bit overlong and I had a difficult time keeping track of all the different characters, but the sense of time and place is terrific. Liked how it all tied together in the end without being too cheesy. The reader for the audio is pretty good.
    • 5/5
      Children's Books Too Cool for School Talk about a dark horse Newbery winner...As of this writing, there is precisely one and only one review on Amazon.com. There are none on LibraryThing. This is all about to change. I guess the lucky side of having a Newbery winner that no one was expecting is that the book was right on the shelf here at the local library, so I grabbed a copy and dove in right away. I remembered the book from when it was new -- the cover and a quote from Patricia Reilly Giff caught my eye -- but I was overwhelmed at the time and opted to display it rather than read it. Ah, for missed opportunities.So what's all the soon-to-be-fuss about?Moon Over Manifest begins with rough-and-tumble, Depression-era stock heroine type, Abilene Tucker arriving in her father's hometown of Manifest, Kansas. She's used to hopping trains, poor conditions, a rough life and being a little rough around the edges. You know the type. Her father has taken a railroad job in Iowa, and claiming that the situation isn't proper for a young lady, has sent her to spend the summer with his old friend, bootlegger-turned-pastor, Shady Howard. Or, at least, her father says it is only for the summer... (At this point, I almost couldn't resist comparisons to a childhood-favorite film, The Journey of Natty Gann.)Looking for clues to her father's past, Abilene stumbles instead on a little tin filled with some keepsakes and some letters, piquing her interest in a couple of young men named Ned and Jinx, and a spy called "the Rattler."And this is where the story comes alive...Through the recollections of an old Gypsy fortune teller, Abilene learns about the lives of Jinx, Ned, and about the once lively town of Manifest, Kansas. Vanderpool manages to effortlessly weave in the stories of Manifest in 1918, on the brink of the Great War, with the Depression-era Manifest of 1939. Sometimes, stories with multiple narratives can be frustrating -- just as you start to get into one story, the author switches to the other -- but Vanderpool balances both very well, never sinking to obvious cliff-hangers nor spending too much time in one "place."However, both places have their elements of excitement and mystery that keep you wanting to read about both. Best of all, both are full of some really great and memorable characters. This is one of those novels that is just chock-full of people (there's even a handy character guide in the front of the book, but the characters are so vivid and real, you won't much need it) that really give the impression of, well, the life of a whole town.Meanwhile, in terms of historical fiction writing, Vanderpool couldn't have picked a more exciting couple of decades to write about. There's war, depression, labor issues, prohibition, poor race-relations, orphan trains, immigration, and Hoovervilles. All of it filtered through the very-relatable character of Abilene Tucker, who is, admittedly, still something of a stock heroine. However, she'll seem fresh enough to the younger set. Overall, this is a fine novel that I really enjoyed reading, and kept me interested enough to blow through it in less than 24-hours. Only time and a little perspective can really tell how a Newbery will do in the overall scheme of things, but I think that it is a fine choice, and congratulations to first-time author Clare Vanderpool, from whom I look forward to reading more.A book about a girl I think you could get a boy to read, best for ages 10-14.
    • 4/5
      I just reread the book after reading this summer and I really liked it so much better this time. The plot is very intricate so you have to pay attention. The plots move from 1918 to 1936 and back and the characters are so well developed. I do hurt for Abilene as she wants to know more about her father's past.
    • 4/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the way that Abilene in 1936 was connected with the stories of Jinx in 1917/1918. It was fun to learn as she learned, and it was great getting the perspectives on was times, prohibition, mining towns, and just plain being a kid.
    • 5/5
      Moon Over Manifest is a broad reaching story. Abilene Tucker (12) is sent to Manifest, Kansas by her father, who has gotten a job on the railroad in 1932, and needs to send her to a safe place for the summer. He trusts Shady, an odd character he knew in his childhood, to take care of his daughter.But Abilene wants to use the time to find out more about her father, and what he was like as a child. However, he doesn't seem to have existed in this town. Although he grew up there, no trace of him is found.Then Abilene begins to listen to stories told by an old Hungarian woman who remembers the times. But she will only tell stories her way. She isn't one for answering questions particularly. Between Miss Sadie's stories, and things Abilene and the two friends she made in town start discovering on their own, some questions get answered, but they usually lead to new questions.It is a beautiful story, with vivid character development and wonderful plot twists (especially in the chapter "Day of Reckoning"). And every single little branch of the story is brought to a neatly wrapped conclusion.
    • 4/5
      The 2011 Newbery Medalist, Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool was a joy to read. In a down-home, folksy manner, we are given two storylines, set 20 years apart, that weave together to make one cohesive narrative. In 1936 Abilene Tucker arrives in Manifest, Kansas to spend the summer where her father also spent time in his youth. She feel abandoned as he has never sent her away from him before, and she decides to spend the summer learning about her father’s boyhood in this same small town. Her digging is rewarded with a mystery to track down and the second storyline, set in 1917 tells of two boys and their adventures. These stories also encompass the history of the town and many of it’s residents. First and foremost this is a story about community and belonging. There are some very interesting and colorful characters that people Manifest; from Abilene’s guardian, bartender and minister, Shady; the warm hearted newspaper woman, Hattie Mae; and on to the mysterious fortune teller, Miss Sadie. Through listening to the tales of the townspeople, Abilene learns, not just about her father, but what it means to have friends who care for each other, and a place to call home.Like many Newbery winners, there is a lot going on in the story and subtle lessons to be learned that the author has cleverly laid between the lines. Written with sincerity and charm, Moon Over Manifest delivers an appealing story of a quaint little town that is rich in it’s diversity and it’s history.
    • 3/5
      I dunno. In the beginning it impressed me as only another plucky (pseudo) orphan story, but then it got more confusing with it's attempt to cover all sorts of history and explore lots of different characters with its gimmicks of layers. I'm afraid I just felt too frustrated with the technique of a story inside a story inside a mystery that's part of a story, with some characters existing in both eras, but as children and then adults, and other characters existing in only one era... and I never did catch why Abilene has that name or what happened to her mother...

      I'm ranting on and on, sorry. But that's the way the book goes, honestly, so I guess it's apt. I believe Vanderpool should have written a two-book series, as she had so many ideas that she wanted to share.

      And now I'll go read other reviews and see whether I'm the only one who feels this way....
    • 5/5
      In 1936 Abilene's father sends her to Manifest while he continues working on the railroad line. She stays with Shady and is disappointed that she can't find any evidence of her father's time in Manifest. Abilene also fears that her father has abandoned her. She finds letters in her room from 1917 that connect to stories from the past that Miss Sadie the Diviner tells her.

      I loved listening to this book. All of the characters were extremely interesting and likable. While I wasn't surprised to find out who Jinx was I was shocked to find out who Ned really was. I thought that was a clever but sad take on the story. I loved Hattie-May's newspaper columns and Ned's letters. I thought all of the audiobook narrators did a wonderful job. I also really enjoyed the author's notes at the end where we find out what is true and what is not.
    • 4/5
      In Kansas in the 1930s a little girl rides the rails to an unusual sort of story. While she is staying with a family friend she starts helping an elderly woman around the house and in the process learns the town's history. That is the over simplified version, because if I got into much detail, I'd be giving too much away.Through the girl's journey to find out who her father is, she discoveries who the people of the town were when they were younger. The book takes place in the 30s, but jumps back through time in flashbacks. It is a type of storytelling that is not for some readers, though I expect many should thoroughly enjoy it, especially if they love hearing members of their family tell stories of when they were younger.This is a book that reaches beyond younger readers and can touch the hearts and memories of adults as well. I can easily see why it was awarded the Newbery Medal.
    • 5/5
      This is one of the best books I've read this year and I think it's ageless as far as the reading audience is concerned. I recommended it to my 90 year old father and he enjoyed it as much as I and the children at my school did.
    • 3/5
      Young adult novel set in the fictional town of Manifest Kansas in the 1930's. Manifest is based on the town of Frontenac, a mining town that was made up of immigrants (especially Italians). Told from the viewpoint of Abilene, a girl who has been sent to Manifest by her vagabond father. The story unfolds alternatively between Abilene's telling and the story of her father and his young days in Manifest as told by a local "diviner."
    • 4/5
      Great book. Story of a young girl, Abilene Tucker, who is sent away by her father to a small town in Kansas in the 1930's. The stories chapters switch back and forth from Abby's 1936 to her father's world in Manifest in 1918. This story is historical fiction and supplies a little mystery as well. Vanderpool has well developed characters and junior high students will enjoy this Newbery Award winning book.
    • 3/5
      Narrated by Jenna Lamia, with Cassandra Campbell and Kirby Heyborne. Abilene’s father sends her to Manifest, Kansas, to live with his old friend Shady for the summer while he is on a railroad job. Abilene doesn’t know much about her father’s childhood and hopes to learn more about who he was. She discovers some old letters and mementos at Shady’s that look promising but no one in town seems to have anything to say about Gideon. Then Miss Sadie the diviner begins to share some interesting tales about Manifest’s past. Abilene becomes invested in the stories and eventually finds out the impact Gideon had on the town. Jenna Lamia’s voices the story with a down-home, plain-spoken voice. The kids sound age-appropriate young and Abilene sounds like a girl who’s had an itinerant lifestyle…a no-frills girl, everything is compact like a life on the road.
    • 5/5
      (Coincidentally, this is the second book I’ve read about young girls sent away from their families due to hard times in the 1930s.)Abeline rides the rails with her father Gideon, until he decides the rails are no place for a young girl and he sends her off to where he lived as a child, the town of Manifest. Taken in by a bootlegger, woodcarver, and preacher named Shady, Abeline goes looking for pieces of her father’s past in the town but ends up uncovering a wonderful and bittersweet story full of spies, diviners, con artists, the KKK, and other oddities instead.This is a slow build of a novel, alternating between Abeline’s point of view, the old stories told of Ned, Jinx, and the town, and newspaper clippings from the past. As such it kind of snuck up on me, making me fall in love with these characters and this hard luck town a little bit at the time, so that by the end I was broken hearted to see what happened and to have it end.
    • 3/5
      Stumbled across a subsequent book by this author, "Navigating Early" - like it well enough to also look for her first novel which won 2011 Newbery Award. I enjoyed reading this book also.
      A little bit historical, a bit of Mark Twain type youngster's summer adventure, a little magical, bit of a mystery and some heartwarming family and community love. Who could ask for more?
      If I had to choose, I think I liked her second book a bit better.
    • 5/5
      A great book. This story takes place in a small western town in Kansas in the 1930's, although the main character's relationship to the town goes back to a story from 20 years before. The rich characters and amusing and sometimes heart-wrenching stories of the town's past make a wonderfully enjoyable read for anyone!
    • 5/5
      A remarkable novel, which unfolds itself to the reader via a variety of colorful characters and moments in time. Lively, Historical and Heart-wrenching this story is equally appealing to adult readers.
    • 3/5
      Parts of this book were interesting, even charming at times, and other sections were slow going to me. Still, I'm glad I read it.
    • 3/5
      Summary: Abilene feels abandoned when her dad sends her to live in Manifest, but while there she becomes steeped in the history of the people and founds out a lot about who she is.Quote: “If there is such a thing as a universal--and I wasn't ready to throw all of mine out the window--it's that there is power in a story. And if someone pays you such a kindness as to make up a tale so you'll enjoy a gingersnap, you go along with that story and enjoy every last bite.”
    • 3/5
      Abilene is moved buy her father to Manifest, the town he grew up in. She can not find any evidence that he was there. but finds a mystery about a boy from 1918 when the town was a melting pot of people from Europe who made Manifest their home and town to work in the coal mine.
    • 5/5
      Abiline is sent to live in a town called "Manifest", with a man named "Shady", whom she's never met. Her father, Gideon, is a rambling man, whose gotten a job on the railroads, and has sent Abiline to his childhood home. Manifest holds many secrets for this wise and wondering young girl. After joining forces with her two new friends, Ruthanne and Lettie, the three spend the summer searching out clues about Manifest's past. Abiline, all the while, is searching out clues about her father - a mysterious and troubled man.Clare Vanderpool has given readers a treasure in "Moon Over Manifest". Its tightly woven storyline, rich and believable characters and wonderful memories of times gone by, are a real treat. As a fifth grade teacher, I might have to scaffold students as they read the book, particularly with understanding the historical time setting and situations, such as bootlegging. Otherwise, this is a fantastic piece of literature.
    • 5/5
      One of the best children's books I've read. I could have stayed in this town with these people and their stories and with Abilene for another couple hundred pages, easily. Very deserving of the Newbery.
    • 4/5
      Vanderpool weaves many stories into this novel. It includes the flu epidemic, World War I, immigrants in the midwest, bootlegging, and a number of con artists playing some suckers. Abilene Tucker is the main narrator of the stories, even when she is retelling stories told to her by others. She is a twelve year old trying to locate her father in the midst of a town he has sent her to -- the theme of being an orphan, or cast out, or hidden comes up quite a bit, gives the reader a lot to think about. I liked the structure of alternating time periods, and the echoes each era brought to the other. I liked the parallels between certain characters, especially the gypsy and the nun. Sometimes I thought the writer whose first novel this is,overwrote a little, and repeated herself. The cons were really well done. By the middle of the book, I couldn't put it down, there were so many mysteries to solve.
    • 5/5
      Worthy of the Newbery, this is a great story. Yes Josh, this is , as you would say, a librarian's book and I am thrilled that it is. For I think librarian books are literature at its best. I look forward to reading more from this author.
    • 4/5
      A lot of librarians were floored when this took the Newbery Award last week. And a lot of us are still rushing to read it! It is a solid piece of historical fiction, with themes of belonging and redemption woven into a tale that alternates between 1918 and 1936 Manifest, Kansas. And Abilene is certainly an engaging character as she draws stories out of the townspeople in order to make sense of her own life. Distinguished? Certainly. The most distinguished? Not in my opinion... I was never "grabbed" the way I was when reading Countdown or The Dreamer or One Crazy Summer. But an enjoyable read-- and I look forward to learning more about and reading more from a talented new author.
    • 3/5
      A Newberry? Really? Is this one I'm missing, or is it just too American for me? Yes, another historical fiction warm-hearted orphan story illuminating small-town Midwest America (Kansas) in 1918 and in 1936. It covers WWI, the Depression and hobos, immigrants, racism, the Klu Klux Klan, and small-town politics..... Told via first-person narrative in 1936, flashback stories to 1918, 1918 newspaper clippings, and letters from 1918. A town comes together in a far-fetched plot to foul the ugly mine owners. (Reminds me of Stop the Train by McCaughrean). I just can't see my students in Singapore getting a grip on it.