Mimi Mathis’s new book, Belle
in the Slouch Hat, begins with describing Belle Brayden’s Slouch hat in
great detail. Belle and her brother Bud
found this special hat together. This
hat is not only sentimental on many levels, but also gives Belle a wave of
added confidence when wearing it and facing challenging situations. The slouch hat plays a very crucial role
throughout this entire story, as it becomes a character unto itself.
Belle and her family lived during the era of the Civil War. The author does a brilliant job describing
the many hardships her family and friends faced as a result of the war. She describes the ugliness it caused to so
many people. Unfortunately, one of the
tragedies early on in this story describes how Belle’s brother Bud is killed by
the Yankees. Belle and her family are obviously
heartbroken over the loss. However in
the mist of darkness, Belle finds her inner determination to hunt for the
person who is responsible for killing her brother, Captain Daemon Stryker.
She began her journey by trying to find Captain William
Quantrill, a friend who would ride with her brother. Both Bud and Quantrill were a part of the Confederate Guerrillas. During her search efforts, she met a woman by
the name of Maude Madison, an Indian. Belle was friendly and engaging, telling Maude she is looking for
Captain William Quantrill. Maude, rather
aloof initially, soon began to trust Belle as they talked more. Maude shared with Belle the fact she too was
a victim of Yankee violence. Both her
son Zeke and her husband Ezekiel were killed by the Yanks. Maude talked at length about her spiritual
faith and educated Belle about her culture. Maude’s Indian beliefs hold The
Great Spirit or Wah-ko-da as the
master of life, as they have a high respect for nature and a unique view of the
spirit world. They have spirit guardians
that protect them from danger. Maude
becomes Belle’s spiritual mentor and by doing so helps Belle with her journey. Mimi Mathis does a wonderful job explaining the
customs and the culture of the Native Indians for readers of all ages to
understand.
In this amazing story you will read about Belle’s many
exciting adventures. Some stories are funny,
some dangerous, but all tell of the love she had for her brother and her desire
to revenge her brother’s killers. You
will read about her close friendship with Cherokee Sun, a horse that possesses
magical powers. Cherokee Sun used to be
Bud’s horse. She writes about her
“best-friend-cousin” Winnie and the loyal bond that Belle and Winnie formed.
Belle in the Slouch
Hat is a beautifully written story that takes place in the South. It has an underling powerful spiritual
message. Its biggest asset is the way
the story draws in the readers by wonderfully describing the character’s
experiences and emotions. Mimi Mathis did a masterful job of bringing realism
into her fictional characters. The cover
is also tastefully done as it hints at what the reader will discover
inside. I highly recommend Belle in the Slouch Hat to both teens
and adults. There are a lot of lessons to
be learned from this truly remarkable story.
Buy this book at Amazon.com
