''Cast Two Shadows: The American Revolution in South Carolina'' is a 1998

historical novel Historical fiction is a literary genre in which a fictional plot takes place in the setting of particular real historical events. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to oth ...

by Ann Rinaldi, a part of the Great Episodes series. It is told in first-person.

Plot

It is 1780, in the midst of the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

, in

Camden, South Carolina Camden is the largest city in and the county seat of Kershaw County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 7,764 in the 2020 census, and the 2022 population estimate is 8,213. It is part of the Columbia, South Carolina, Metropolita ...

, and fourteen-year-old Caroline Whitaker, her step mother Sarah and her bratty older half-sister Georgia Ann are confined to one small room of their spacious Southern plantation home. Caroline is the light-skinned daughter of the plantation's owner and a slave who has been raised by Mama Sarah. British soldiers, led by Colonel Rawdon are occupying the place. The Colonel is also courting Georgia Ann. Caroline and her Negra caretaker, who is also her grandmother, Miz Melindy, travel to get her 'almost' brother Johnny. He converts into an American patriot, after being whipped and spanked by a British officer for not handing over his second most prized horse- Grey Goose, aside from the most thoroughbred blooded mare in all of St. Mark's Parish, Fearnaught. Johnny's horses make many conflicts throughout the novel, including Caroline's sore wound over Kit's dab and dabbing.

Reception

In a starred review, ''

Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is ...

'''s Susan Dove Lempke praised ''Cast Two Shadows'' for being "impeccably researched", a point with which ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...

'' agreed, highlighting how Rinaldi "deftly incorporat sfacts into the background". Lempke also noted that the book is " vividly detailed, and filled with very human characters". ''Kirkus'' similarly discussed how Rinaldi "leav smost of the violence offstage", which "keeps the focus on her characters". ''

School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, wi ...

s Star E. Smith called the novel "deftly plotted and fast-paced". Lempke praised ''Cast Two Shadows'' as a novel "about something that matters", in this case "truth, secrets, and the difficulty of determining the right thing to do". Smith also commented on the novel's "provocative themes". Despite this, ''Kirkus Reviews'' suggested Anna Myers’s Keeping Room for readers looking for "a less disingenuous story set in the same place and time

hat A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...

offers a more direct view of the unusual brutality that characterized the war in the Carolinas".

References

1998 American novels 1998 children's books American children's novels Children's historical novels Novels by Ann Rinaldi Novels set in South Carolina Fiction set in 1780 Novels set in the 1780s Kershaw County, South Carolina Novels set during the American Revolutionary War American historical novels Children's books set in South Carolina Children's books set during the American Revolutionary War Children's books about African-American history Children's books about slavery {{AmericanRevolutionaryWar-novel-stub