W: Watsons

At last I come to the Watsons! It’s really too bad their last name comes so close to the end of the alphabet, because it would have been appropriate to start with them. They are the characters Across the Stars begins with, and truly, without them there would be no Across the Stars. There are eight children in the Watson family, but only the five oldest are actually featured in the book.

Sara: Sara is the oldest of the Watson children, and she is thirteen years old at the time of Across the Stars. Originally, she was my only main character. I began Across the Stars at a time when I was uncomfortable using a boy as the protagonist, and this is why I chose Sara. Sara is sweet and pretty, and while she does make mistakes, they are few. She hates being the oldest, but does a good job of it, though sometimes she is overly bossy with Jack. She is very brave, and has a lot of Bible verses committed to memory. She is very close to her brother Charles, and protective of the younger children. She also becomes good friends with Felix Walker. Their goodbye, just before the Watsons go home, is one of my personal favorite parts of the story, and leaves the door open for a sequel.

Charles: Charles is eleven years old, has the entire Gettysburg Address memorized, and carries the Declaration of Independence and the U. S. Constitution around in his back pocket. What more could you want? I love American history and the foundations of America, and this really shows through in Charles. He is brave, and he’s a fighter. He doesn’t want to go to war if it can be avoided, but when it is necessary, he is more than willing to fight for what is right. There is a point in the story when Charles’s life is in grave danger, but you’ll have to read Across the Stars to find out what happens and whether or not he pulls through.

Jack: Oh, Jack. Jack is nine years old, rather rude and defiant at times, immature, and quite entertaining. He is a trial to Sara, especially when he makes fun of Felix’s eloquence. But I like Jack. He is definitely the comic relief. I guess he’s probably a typical nine-year old boy, with a strong desire for adventure, a dislike for obeying bossy big sisters, and a penchant for mischief. He does gain some sense of responsibility throughout the adventure, but still remains the family clown.

Hetty: Hetty is rather quiet, and doesn’t intrude much into the story, but she is rather instrumental in the Second Battle of Theotocop. She helps the army get in, and her actions also help to save Sara’s life. She is unobtrusive, but she is there all the time.

Lu: When I first started making up Across the Stars, I debated whether or not to let Lu come along. She is only five, being two years younger than Hetty, and being so young I wondered at the wisdom of allowing her on such an adventure. I sure am glad I did. She has such a vivid personality, always has a comment or an indignant reply to add, and, well, Sara needed a baby sister along. She is very smart, being the sort who is hard to keep out of the older children’s school books. My youngest sister is this way and has been for as long as I can remember. Lu has a rather traumatic experience during the Second Battle of Theotocop, but being who she is, I’m sure she was able to overcome it.

Just for the sake of extra information, the other Watson children are named Jem, Laylie, and Katie. Katie has not been born yet at the time of Across the Stars, but she soon will be. If I do get around to writing the sequel about the Watsons and Felix, she will be quite the entertaining little sister.