May 15, 2008

The Ever-After Bird

Historical fiction by Ann Rinaldi
Reviewed by Shelby W.
Not in the NVHS Collection as of this post


When Cece’s father dies, she is left confused and hurt. Her father had always helped run away slaves, yet he was always mean to her, his own daughter. After his funeral, she is sent to live with her Uncle Alex and his wife. Her Uncle Alex is very kind to her and she is very happy with him and his wife. Her uncle has an assistant, Earline, who is a runaway slave, and Cece often finds herself not getting along with her. One day, she finds out that Uncle Alex, Earline, and herself will be going on a trip to the south, so her uncle can sketch birds. Cece soon finds herself seeing the life the slaves had and why her father went to extremes to help these people he didn’t even know.

This is a book that really teaches how life was for slaves in the South during those times. The emotion is very grabbing, and makes you feel like you are right there with Cece and her family. I recommend this book to anybody. The best part is, it’s based on how life really was before the Civil War, so you get a great story, and a better understanding of how life was then. Beware though, you might actually enjoy this educational book.

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