A good historical novel, if its history is accurate, is a pleasant way to learn about past events and people. Such a novel tells an exciting story and brings the past to life for the reader. In a similar way, a well-written biography can illuminate a person and the times they lived in, much like a historical novel but without fictional elements. Elizabeth Janet Gray was a master of both forms—perhaps a novelist truly is the best kind of biographer. This review looks at one of each type that she wrote.
Adam of the Road won the Newbery Award for best young adult novel in 1943. It tells the story of Adam, a boy in medieval England who is separated from his father and must walk across the country to find him. Along the way, he encounters many aspects of medieval life. Gray vividly recreates this time and place, allowing the reader to experience it alongside Adam. His quest, the adventures he faces, and the richly drawn setting make for a wonderful story. The illustrations by Robert Lawson, celebrated for both his artwork and books such as Rabbit Hill and Ben and Me, beautifully complement the text.
Every one of the original thirteen colonies has an origin story and a principal founder. Pennsylvania, meaning “Penn’s Woods,” was the personal domain of William Penn, son of a noted English admiral and a devout Quaker. In Penn, Elizabeth Janet Gray tells the story of William Penn, covering not only the founding of Pennsylvania but also many other aspects of his remarkable life. It is difficult to imagine the American Revolution without Pennsylvania and its pivotal places like Philadelphia and Valley Forge. Penn offers older readers valuable English background and helps them understand how the state came to be through Penn’s efforts.