This vast land

Name: This vast land
Author: Stephen E. Ambrose
ISBN: 0689864485

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Stephen E. Ambrose

Reading Level 6-7 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 13+ Balanced Read Rich Discussion

The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

Find on Amazon Listen on Audible

We may earn a commission from these links.

About This Book

Journey back in time to explore the challenging lives and courageous spirits of black women living in the segregated South. Through their own voices and stories, these women reveal their vital roles in family, community, and the fight against inequality. Experience a powerful blend of history and personal triumph that highlights their strength and resilience.

Themes

Historical Family Social Justice Multicultural

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 6-7 book with moderate content intensity. Content themes include racial discrimination, identity & self-discovery, social justice. Written for readers ages 13+.

Why we rated This vast land ME (Moderate)

This vast land is written at a Level 6-7 reading level across 293 pages (approximately 52,640 words). Upper Grades (Ages 13+) is the typical interest range for this book — readers in that age band have the maturity and attention span suited to the story, separate from whether they can decode the words.

Read aloud, This vast land runs about 5.9 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate This vast land as ME (Moderate, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, social complexity — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Racial Discrimination, Identity & Self-Discovery, Social Justice.

Thematically, This vast land explores historical, family, social justice, and multicultural — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers. Each of these themes is concrete enough to seed a real conversation, not just a moral lesson.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Family book clubs, classroom read-alouds, and parents who want a strong conversation hook.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about historical, family, social justice.

Maybe not for

! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.

For Parents

Content Intensity

ME · Moderate · Emotional

Emotional

Moderate ←

Physical

Gentle

Social

Moderate

Thematic

Gentle

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.