Tales from the Vault

"My Own Dear America Book"

We all know I loved the Dear America series, books where nothing good ever happened. So in 2006, I decided to write my own. About a war, of course.

This was written in the summer of 2006 as I was watching coverage of the Lebanon War on the news, which is what inspired this.

This is set in the weird fantasy world that existed inside of the real world.

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The Diary of Samantha Karth: Apple Brook War, 1990

September 17, 1990

I'm Samantha Krath (yes, the last name is different than the one on the title page) and my parents gave me this diary for my 10th birthday. It came with a purple ribbon for a bookmark. Dad took me to Car City for ice cream. Max's chin turned white from his vanilla. He's so crazy. A man from Apple Brook was arguing with a man from Roseland. Roseland wants our land, but we won't let him. (Him?)

Ah, the classic war over land rights. In 1990, no less.

September 18, 1990

I helped Mama bake cookies today. Das took the wagen to town for flour. I wish we could have an electric stove, running water, and a car like Car City people do! But Apple Brook and Walnut Grove live old-fashiond.

September 23, 1990

I have no news. I wish I do.

This is the cliche "be careful what you wish for" moment, young Samantha.

September 27, 1990

I have news today. Bad news. (Gasp!) The Roselands are at war with Apple Brook. All the men, even Dad, have gone to fight. (Because this is what men do in war. All of them. No exceptions.) Everyone 18 & up is fighting. Mr. Lerwin, the storekeeper, built an underground shelter. 300 women and children will live in that or in the Peterson's basement.

Pause: So in one day, this dude build an underground shelter equipped for a couple hundred people? Or was he a doomsdayer and already had this just in case?

I helped Mama bury flour and her jewelry. (The essentials, am I right.) We packed food, clothes, toothbrushes, a hairbrush, a mirror, shoes, my dolls, and Max's favorite toys. The Fishers barn is keeping our animals. The shelter was already full, so we had to go to the basement. It has a stove, a tiny bathroom, chairs and a table, mattresses, and piles of blankets.

September 28, 1990

(At this point my own writing went from pencil to pen.)

I am using ink and a pen now. My pencil was "accidently" stepped on by Max. More than 60 kids are staying here. (In a basement?! I HAD a basement. I should have realized how unfathomable sixty kids in a basement would be.) I share a mattress with 5 other kids. There's hardley any walking space in here. (You don't say.) I guess there is 150 people in here.

October 1, 1990

I am so bored! It's impossible to play games, it's so crowded in here! I wish we could have t.v. We have scrabble, candy land, and monopoly, but those get boring. Some kids brought toys of boats, dolls, stuffed animals, a tiny dollhouse, and wooden animals.

October 2, 1990

Last night soilders broke into the barn and took the animals, fruits, and vegetables. We had bread, water, and coffee for breakfast.

Another pause: I don't think this war has a single bomb in it. However, I had all the women and children bunkering underground because that is what I saw on TV.