Angel Coming [Hardcover]

Heather Henson (Author), Susan Gaber (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 31, 2005 | Age Level: 3 and up

Mama says we must be ready,

ready for that angel coming.

High in the hills of Kentucky, a little girl eagerly awaits the arrival of a very special visitor -- an "angel" who, she is told, will come riding up the mountain on horseback, carrying a baby sister or brother in her saddlebag.

Li'l sis is what I'm wanting.

Li'l sis is what I'll call her.

I'll braid her hair right pretty,

brush it out most every night.

But the "angel" is not exactly what the young narrator imagined, and neither is the precious bundle that comes when she least expects it.

This gem of a story highlights a little-known piece of American history: the Frontier Nursing Service, a pioneering group of women who came to be called "angels on horseback."

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-Set in the Appalachian Mountains during the early 20th century, this pleasant story is told in a manner that will appeal to children. In the quiet narrative, a young girl awaits the arrival of a new sibling. The lyrical text reads like poetry: "Mama says an angel is coming, coming clear up the mountain, riding clear up Lonesome Creek, a tiny babe tucked in her saddlebag, a tiny babe tucked safe and warm." Attractive, realistic acrylic paintings show the family's preparations as Pap takes the handmade cradle out of storage and Mam washes tiny garments that once belonged to the narrator. Glimpses of life in the hills include a quilting bee with all of the aunties and storytelling by the fireplace. In the end, though she hoped for a sister, the girl readily accepts her little brother, declaring, "Can't help but love him just the same." An appended author's note gives a brief history of Mary Breckinridge and the Frontier Nursing Service, describing the nurse-midwives who traveled into rugged terrain to serve families that otherwise went untended. It also explains that many young Kentuckians believed that babies arrived in the saddlebag of one of these "angel[s] on horseback." An engaging piece of historical fiction.-Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* PreS-Gr. 2. Living in a rustic, mountainside house with her father and pregnant mother, a little girl awaits the arrival of an angel on horseback with "a tiny babe tucked in her saddlebag." Time passes. The family gets out the old cradle, washes little clothes, and hosts a quilting bee. One morning, the girl climbs the mountain and returns to find a tall lady standing with her horse outside the cabin. Inside, Mama lies in bed, holding the new baby. The appended author's note explains that beginning in 1925, the Frontier Nursing Service began training and sending nurses to remote cabins in the mountains to check on the families, treat their ailments, and occasionally, if the timing was right, help with the birth of a child. Children were sometimes told that the babies were brought by angels on horseback. From mentions of creek sounds, darting birds, and "old-time ways" to the gentle curves and soft colors of the landscape, both story and art evoke the beauty of the Appalachian setting. Gaber's acrylic paintings portray the characters and their surroundings with finesse. Written in the first person from the girl's point of view, the text is unrhymed, but its cadence has the grace of speech and the meter of song. A quiet, memorable picture book. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (May 31, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689855311
• ISBN-13: 978-0689855313
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,987,154 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Heather Henson was born and raised in central Kentucky in a summerstock theater her father founded sixty years ago, and her family still owns and operates. After moving to New York City to study theater and filmmaking, Heather decided to focus on her first love: writing. She graduated from the New School with a degree in creative writing and literature, and went on to work as an editor of children's books at a major publisher. After many years in New York, she returned to her home state of Kentucky to focus on her writing, which has always been deeply influenced by her roots. Her award-winning picture books and novels celebrate little known pieces of Kentucky history (the Frontier Nursing Service and the Pack Horse Library Project), illuminate the behind the scenes world of theater, and explore the angst of growing up in a small town. Heather's picture book, That Book Woman, recently won the Christopher Award as well as the Great Lakes Book Award. Heather lives on a farm in central Kentucky with her husband and three children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful, poetic story -- perfect for arrival of a new sibling, November 28, 2005

By 

kayhil "Kayhil" (Athens, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Angel Coming (Hardcover)

This book is absolutely gorgeous -- both its breathtaking illustrations and its lyrical story make it a piece of art!

Sort of a new twist on the idea of the stork bringing the baby, this book incorporates the true-life legend of nurse-midwives in Appalachia who traveled on horseback through rough terrain to help women give birth. Many children imagined the midwives brought the babies in their saddlebags!

This is a perfect gift for a child who is expecting a new sibling, but also an engaging and beautiful piece of historical fiction that will be enjoyed by any child.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kentucky love, December 10, 2005

By 

Doris Fisher, author - See all my reviews

This review is from: Angel Coming (Hardcover)

With beautiful lyrical language and nostalgia for

time gone by, this book brings to life a hard working family,

relatives,expectant good news, and the true facts of nurses on horseback.

It weaves a magical spell of love and anticipation with an element of surprise.

A great gift for children and the adults who love them.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kin you see the angel bringin' my lil' sister?, October 20, 2009

By 

Moonglow's Nana "Moonglow's Nana" (Western Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Angel Coming (Hardcover)

When I was a senior nursing student we learned to write a letter of application so that we could find work after graduation. I wrote my letter to the Frontier Nursing Service in Kentucky. These midwives traversed the hills and "hollers" on horseback providing the aid mothers needed when delivering their newborns. This children's book uses gentle dialect and rhyme as the anticipation builds and a new baby sister or brother arrives, brought by the angel on horseback. Both the words and illustrations in Angel Coming are soft and natural describing the green hills under a blue moon and a little girl waking up to a foggy morning watching for the angel to come up the murmuring creek to bring the precious bundle. Young and old alike will enjoy the story told in Angel Coming.