Kirjahaku

Times change, children grow up, old ways disappear, and new ways take their place. The story of RACHEL shows the passing of the years and the changes in the lives of the Collier family, the town they live in, and across the entire United States in the early 1900s. As Rachel becomes the new teacher in the Mercerville School, the quiet days that followed her going to college give way to the violence of World War I. In this sequel to A Sign of the Times, the teaching of history through literature helps students re-live the years leading up to the First World War, when the weapons and war machines that were built showed the world the power and terror the Industrial Revolution had created. When Rachel gets marries and starts a family, she believes that her life is complete. Her husband is sent away to the "Great War" in Europe and her life, and the lives of millions on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, becomes a test to see if she can survive in the new world alongside machines that could travel long distances in a short amount of time, communicate with people in other parts of the world, and even fly.

What a Finish to the Sign of the Times Trilogy As America celebrated after the Great War, the contrast of Prohibition being enacted and women gaining the right to vote set the stage for the new lifestyles that became the Roaring Twenties. Newspapers became big business and were the information source for people in all parts of the country and the world. In this climactic conclusion, The Hammer and the Anvil weaves historical events with the story of the Collier and Standlin families, who realize their very survival is threatened when unscrupulous industrialists and corrupt politicians try to buy the Mercerville News-by any means possible."The Sign of the Times Trilogy is a wonderful story that teaches the history of the late 1800s and early 1900s. The characters are strong, and the story is full of historically accurate events, while enthralling the reader in a family's struggle between new and old ways.Dr. Shawna Martino, College of Education, Grand Canyon University. "As a parent, I read A Sign of the Times with our oldest son, and it was a wonderful way of integrating history and literature. I went on to read the rest of the trilogy, evoking laughter and tears, and I felt inspired by these characters. It was nice to see how each book, including Rachel and the Hammer and the Anvil, continued the story of their lives, and the accompanying study guides serve as valuable tools, aiding students in relating to the content, enhancing comprehension, and acquiring historical knowledge as an additional benefit."Dr. Crystal McCabe, Ph. D., Grand Canyon University.