My Daughter really isn't into reading at all but "Send One Angel Down" has changed her mind. The story really kept her going and for once she enjoyed reading a book and now she doesn't complain about reading a book for school reports.

"'Why do I look like I'm in the middle? Not as dark as you or as light as them. A different color altogether. What does that make me?'" When you look in the mirror and you see you, do you know who you are? Life has more secrets than we know about. In the book, Send One Angel Down, Eliza and her cousin, Abram, live every day of their lives trying to find out who they are and what their job in life is. Along the way, they encounter many problems that get in the way of their dreams. When Eliza is old enough to understand that she is different from the other slaves because of her pale skin and bright blue eyes, she wonders why she is so different. Her older cousin, Abram, tries to keep the details of her background from her because he wants to protect her from the pain and harsh realization that come with that background. Eventually, Master's daughter, Abigail, goes too far with her comments about Eliza's being different and Eliza forces Abram to tell her about her background. Once he tells her, Eliza doesn't want to believe him but she knows that Abram wouldn't lie to her. As Eliza grows up, Abigail becomes jealous of the young slave's beauty and tells Master Tuner to put Eliza out in the fields. Being out in the sun only makes Eliza's beauty greater and Abigail becomes even more jealous. To calm his daughter, Master Turner puts Eliza on the auction block. Abram and Aunt Charity, who is Eliza's mother, sneak out of the fields to watch the auction. At the auction a man, the "Swedelander" and a buyer from New York bid on Eliza. Who will buy Eliza? What will the man from New York do with Eliza if he bids highest on her? What about the Swedelander? What will he do with Eliza if he bids highest on her? If you like historical fiction, this is the book for you. What I liked about this book were the sub-plots that occurred and kept me interested in the story. Most readers will enjoy the way the author showed the strong bond between Abram and Eliza. Any teenager, boy or girl can read this book and stay interested because each character's thoughts are expressed in a thoughtful way. A 5-star book!

I really enjoyed this beautifully written, deeply felt story of the young, mulatto slave girl Eliza, who, stuck between being black and white, must struggle to find her way in a world of strife, inhumanity and prejudice.

The lessons to be learned in these pages are as powerful as they are eternal. The author elegantly reminds us in this book that these lessons have yet to be fully realized.

An excellent read for young adults.

This well-researched book is the story of Phoebe, a teenaged woman born in slavery on an Alabama plantation. A map in the front allows readers to follow the route taken by Phoebe, her friends, Liney & Jake, and Liney's 2 little girls as they use the clues in lyrics of the old slave spirituals to guide them on their way along the Underground Railroad. These characters are wonderful role models for our kids--strong, empowered young women & a young man who protects and sacrifices himself for the safety of the group.