Porcelain doll travels through generations

“Annabelle and the Great Hurricane,” by Evelyn Gill Hilton, Dog Ear Publishing, Indianapolis, IN, $10.99.

+++

Annabelle was well-traveled by the time she arrived at the Gulf Coast Port of Galveston in 1871 when she met the person who would care for her during the first part of her unusually long life, Laura Tilton.

She soon became treasured by the young girl and part of the family, going with them nearly everywhere.

Laura loved visiting Galveston Island, where her aunt and uncle lived in a large, three-story yellow home built on the foundation of Maison Rouge, the home of pirate Jean Laffite on the northeaster portion of the island, once called Campeche.

In fact, they and Laura’s nephew, Daniel, were responsible for bringing the two together.

Annabelle was quite striking with black hair and had eyes the color of Laura’s. She wore a plain, cotton dress and muslin sun bonnet when they’d first met at Laura’s 12th birthday party.

Annabelle hadn’t been a guest; she had been Laura’s gift from her Uncle Ben and Aunt Henrietta.

She was a porcelain doll created in Germany and France.

In the book, Annabelle tells about frontier life from her perspective, especially the sadness felt when Laura grew up, married and gave her to the youngest of her three daughters, Effie.

Like Laura before her, Effie took Annabelle everywhere with her.

It was during a visit to their Uncle Ben’s home in 1900 that the deadliest hurricane ever to hit America struck Galveston Island, killing more than 7,000 people.

The entire Texas frontier family’s safety that horrible night rested in the hands of an uncle with skills of knot-tying learned and taught from stories told by his father, Charles Tilton, who in 1799 was hired on a whaling ship.

The ship and its crew were captured by the famous pirate Jean Lafitte.

Charles’ life was spared by ransom. Not long thereafter, governmental policies changed. Former pirate and crew were hired by the U.S. government to rid the coastline of Spanish pirates.

During the storm, Annabelle broke doll code. She saw the severity of the situation as the family was attempting to get out of the attic window while the hurricane’s eye passed the island.

Annabelle’s quick thinking had saved the lives of the people she’d grown to love, and their lives were all at risk. Would they hear and listen to her?

Laura, Annabelle’s first owner had once heard her speak, too.

Strapped to an oak bed headboard, the family was lowered onto the water to endure the night of the storm.

Annabelle, the most unlikely other “person” to help the family, was stuck in the broken attic window, and Effie left her family to get her doll.

Hilton weaves historical facts in the book, which itself is based on a true story of a family surviving the seemingly unending night, capturing the life-changing events that would forever change life on the island and the community itself.

It would reinvent itself, and its people would work to protect their island home from future hurricanes.

A native born Texan who grew up near Galveston, Evelyn Gill Hilton was educated in Texas and worked in the Texas public school system throughout her career.

Hilton’s knowledge of the area and early Texas history and its heroes comes through in this well-written book for children of middle school age and those of us who thrive on learning more about this state.

She tells about the events of the night without terrifying its readers, bringing in events in Galveston’s past and incorporating them in the story, an art form too few writers have.

I look forward to reading her first novel, also for children, “Kidnapped by Pirates.”

Margaret Barno, a retired social worker, lives in Pflugerville.