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"Black Angels" by Linda Beatrice Brown

Author:

Linda Beatrice Brown

Publisher:

Putnam Juvenile

Brown, Linda Beatrice. Black Angels  Penguin Young Readers Group, New York, 2009.

The Emancipation Proclamation has just freed all the slaves; the country is at war. Three children are caught amidst the turmoil – Luke, age 11, a runaway slave; Daylily, age 10, a slave whose family has been killed; and Caswell, a seven year old white boy whose mother has been killed and father is fighting for the Confederacy.  Thrown together by circumstances, the three children must work together taking on family roles to survive in a world where right and wrong are almost impossible to decipher. Violence is part of their past and surrounds them in the present.  When Daylily becomes seriously ill, the children have the good fortune to be taken in by a half-breed Indian woman, Betty Strong Foot.  A spy for both sides of the conflict, Betty cares for the children as if they were her own – protecting them, teaching them, and giving them the confidence they need when they eventually must leave. Throughout the book, storytelling bonds the characters together, teaching lessons and sharing dreams.  Eventually each child must find his/her way in the new world in which they live.  A flash-forward to the future brings them together once more, emphasizing the bond they developed in the face of suffering and despair.

Essentially a story of survival, with neither side completely right or wrong, Black Angels is a tribute to alienated children during a violent war. With plenty of action and some suspense, the dominant theme focuses the importance of relationships and the bonds of friendship.  The colloquial language of the characters authenticates each individual and sets the tone for the time and place of the story. A secondary theme of the importance of reading and education is laced throughout the story, as it becomes a key component in the later success of the characters.  Likewise, the image of black angels continues throughout the story with the emerging recognition of the slaves as individuals with rights.  My middle school reviewing partner enjoyed the book, but cautions readers about the violence.  Best enjoyed by older students with some background knowledge about the Civil War, and recommended for middle and high school readers.

Kristine Wildner, Holy Apostles School, New Berlin, WI