2010 Level I First Place Winner:

Catherine Lee, Grade 6, Thomas R. Grover School, West Windsor

Teacher:  Toni Russo

Letter written to Karen Hesse, author of Witness

Dear Karen Hesse,

            I had always envisioned the world as a sharp contrast of good and bad.  To me, there were strict divisions between light and dark:  on one side of the earth stood the benefactors, brave people who accepted their inevitable dooms, yet nevertheless strove to make their lives worthwhile for the period of time it would last.  On the other side, I envisaged the cruel ones, who relentlessly bore down upon all things good.  It was only after reading your novel, Witness, that I realized the truth.

            Witness startled me.  I had never imagined that someone as coldhearted as Merlin Van Tornhout seemed would have gentler longings and a life of his own ­– that he could accept Leanora’s forgiveness in the end;  that he could love Mary.  I was astonished to discover how passionately and genuinely he, Johnny Reeves, and Harvey Pettibone believed in the Klan and thought it was a symbol of patriotism, whereas my limited perception had led me to believe that the crueler portion of humankind had no family and no morals, only a sheer delight for murder and torture.

            Last summer, I stood before the Nanjing Massacre Memorial.  Though the Massacre itself had happened roughly seventy years ago, its impact was lasting on my family members, who had been taught all their lives to hate the Japanese for what they had done.  For eleven years of my life, it never occurred to me to think any differently.  And yet, Witness made me reconsider.  It made me want to forgive the Japanese, despite the millions of Chinese that were killed and injured; despite the millions of dollars of damage; despite the tragic stories of grief that the Memorial preserved. 

            In reading Witness, I have come closer to the truth of human nature.  I learned to know the grief of Leanora, the pure innocence of Esther;  yet at the same time the spirits of the seemingly heartless people who strove against them.  The others, I realized, had consciences, too, and mortal guilt, no matter how they tried to disprove it.

            Your book, Witness, has touched me deeply.  It has revealed to me the essence of my own humanity;  the unapproachable, mist-shrouded concepts that lie at the base of every human heart.  It has given me a chance to forgive and seek forgiveness.  Thank you, Mrs. Hesse, for the light you have shown me.

                                                                        Sincerely,

                                                                        Catherine Lee