My overall impression of the book Blood on the River is that it’s a very good book. The reason I like it is because, it’s really suspenseful and it gets me really excited to keep reading. I think Elisa Carbone did a very good job of going to lots of places just to get facts so she could write an awesome book like that.
The character I can connect the most with is probably Samuel because he goes through a lot of hardships, either it being food, survival or Indian attacks. He also has to befriend someone he doesn’t trust yet.
The character that me most about life and death in the beginning and the end, was probably Captain John Smith because when he made Samuel stand on one foot, and told him that the whole colony has to be able to stand on two feet to survive.
I think the theme of the story that Elisa Carbone is trying to incorporate is bravery. I know this because on pages 78-80 it shows how Samuel knew just what to do about the situation they were in. With a lot of arrows flying around the fort, he got both the boys to go under the tent. James tried to get out but Samuel was pulling him, James started to get away but then Samuel lunged at him and grabbed him harder but James bit him and got away.
Another theme I thought was survival when he was at the Native American village how he learned how to make things using all-natural supplies. I think this because, when he was in the village he learned how to hunt and survive. The supplies he learned to make was “arrows, a bow, and a knife, then Kainta taught him how to shoot straight strait at target practice.
When you interpret a phrase or quote it's how you take it, so you break it down to find it's meaning:
"Such a sorrow doesn't come suddenly," (sad things don't just come out of nowhere), "there are thousand steps to take before you get there" (everything you do leads up to a moment). So the quote means,
Everything that happens in your life; every movement and every breath, leads to the moments; the moments you don't want to have, but you have to have. These moments are the sad, but hard moments. Every moment of our lives matter. Frankly, the impossible moments might drive you crazy, but you have to have those moments in order to get to the happy moments. Therefore I know the meaning of the quote, "Such a sorrow doesn't come suddenly, there are thousand steps to take before you get there," means that most of the moments in life are the good ones, but sad things have to happen- moments lead to that event, because time exists. Time is precious so cradle it; live your life as though you could fly.
