Bonnie L. Lukes

This book would be better suited to middle school students or as a reference for teachers beginning their unit on The Red Badge of Courage. I was mostly unimpressed by the writing and story-telling. It seemed to read like a textbook instead of an engaging journey through Crane's life. Where creativity lagged, the author made up for it with effort and research. The book begins with Crane's birth and background on his parents. Every interaction, relocation, and vocation recorded are cited and referenced with actual letters, pictures, or interviews. There are many times throughout the book that the author refuses to make assumptions because there just isn't any sources to confirm it, like why Crane disappeared in Cuba. I wouldn't recommend this book for it's entertainment value, but it could be used as an accurate, trustworthy resource.… (mere)

Soldier's Courage: The Story of Stephen Crane provided an informational yet distant view of Crane's short life. Much of the information obtained by Lukes came from secondary sources. The reader does, however, get a chance to glimpse his writing journey - from the struggles to the glory. The most interesting point for me as a reader was discovering that he had never been to war; yet he had depicted one in a way that helped to define a new type of writing. The pictures provided in the book as well as the timeline would work well in a small scale author study in an English classroom. I would likely use this book as a resource in my classroom, but not as a mentor text of any kind.… (mere)