The Long Summer

The Long Summer 

The Long SummerDorothy E. Miller

From The Miami Times “Lifestyle” section (1998)

     One of the achievements in modern literature for children is a genuine history of American life and of family life at its equal best.

      If the country can become great in humility, and can work earnestly to solve it’s problems at the same time that it carries it’s share of world responsibilities, it will be in the vision of our children and their integrity and idealism. That is the theme of a new book, The Long Summer, by Miami resident Dorothy E. Miller, a ‘story for children,’ with illustrations by Oscar Thomas, Fred Seymour and Eddie Spragains.

In The Long Summer, Zachary and his grandfather cut hay together. Pa Charles, Zachary’s grandfather, shows his grandchildren how to use a mowing machine carefully and not to hurt themselves. Zachary has two brothers, Howard and John, and a sister, Zebra.

Zebra rides to the field with her grandfather in the hay wagon. She would have fun in the haystacks, as she would trample it down. Zachary was the water boy. He would give everyone water to drink. He was the oldest sibling.

They all worked very hard the whole summer together without any fights or disagreements. Then Zachary and Zebra, had to go on a little journey for the first time, to get a blade for the mowing machine and had to walk through the whole prairie near Kansas City, Kansas. Zachary dreaded going into town because so many people lived there. He was not exactly in fear, but when strange eyes looked at him, it made him uncomfortable.

The whole prairie was about a mile’s walk. They followed the way by Pa Charles’s
wagon wheel, down the dry road to the main street.

On the way back, Zebra became a little scared because she couldn’t find the wagon wheel’s tracks. Zachary knew the way blindfolded, but, first they couldn’t find the way that Zachary knew; they were in the middle of the prairie and didn’t know it.

They were looking for a clue or a sign to tell them that they were on course. Zachary had to follow his own trail back to the road. They were safe again. They were near a house in the woods, the Hughes house. Zachary knew he was seconds away for Pa Charles’s field, so they ran the rest of the way home.

The next morning, Zebra helped Grandma Sandie bake a pumpkin pie, so when Pa Charles returned, the pie was ready.

Then came a rainstorm that lasted four days and four nights. Afterwards there was nothing to do outdoors, so everyone had to help with the cooking. Ma Sandie had asked the Cornelius family to come for dinner. The boys and Pa Charles went to get the groceries. It was an Indian summer indeed.

And so the story goes.

Miller was born in Indian River Country and educated in New Jersey.

She is a writer, singer and ballet dancer. She writes about Whites, Blacks, and Indians, because of her heritage. Her first book was ‘The Manuscript of a Black Caucasian.’ Before becoming an author, she worked as a legal secretary.