I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly: The Diary of Patsy, a Freed Girl, Mars Bluff, South Carolina 1865 (Dear America Series) (Hardcover)

by Joyce Hansen (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
In this latest addition to the Dear America series, Coretta Scott King Honor-winning author Joyce Hansen presents the inspiring story of Patsy, a freed girl who becomes a great teacher.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc. (October 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590849131
• ISBN-13: 978-0590849135
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #264,934 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #2 in	Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > United States > Black History > Slavery
  #17 in	Books > Children's Books > Series > Historical > Dear America

• This item is part of The Dear America Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great story about a "freed" girl, October 4, 2000

By	Melanie (Iowa, USA) - See all my reviews

"I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly" was a great novel on a recently freed girl, Patsy, who lives on a plantation. She's different from the other slaves there, though - she can read and write.

Patsy stutters and walks with a limp, and because of that, everyone thinks she is dull witted. However, she certainly isn't, because she learned to read and write. Her secret is revealed, and she becomes a teacher to the children on the plantation. In the meanwhile, the other people at the plantation are leaving with newly found family, and she wonders if her family will ever come. What will happen to Patsy?

This was an excellent book on slavery for ages 10 - 14, and I'd also recommend "A Picture of Freedom", "A Wolf by the Ears", and "Letters from a Slave Girl", other books on slaves that can write.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's not just the plot..., December 19, 2000

By A Customer

This is a beautiful book for many reasons, all of which are more complex than the basic plot. The overall theme of the story is huge: what it means - for anyone - to be free. Historically, Patsy's tale explains that once the Civil War was over, slaves didn't necessarily just walk off the plantations; they didn't always know where to go or what to do. Next, literacy is essential to and cherished by Patsy. We modern readers take it for granted that we know how to read yet it was illegal for slaves. Also, how we are given or choose our names connects with the book's theme of freedom. Patsy wants no part of her name to be associated with the misery of the Davis Plantation, so she ponders throughout the book what a suitable replacement will be. She is, after all, free to do that. Other reviewers have complained about lack of action, or a slow plot. I recommend thinking of the action as being cerebral, and in that regard it is action-packed. Joyce Hansen wrote a beautiful book.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good book, February 15, 2000

By A Customer

I noticed a previous comment regarding this book - specifically that it is "boring." I think this aptly illustrates life as a slave. Doing the same thing day in and day out for years WOULD be boring. Which could be part of the reason Patsy is so determined to learn how to read. The excitement is subtle- there is fear of getting caught reading or writing, fear of the beating that would result from getting caught,the suspense of wondering if her parents would arrive to take her away, and her budding feelings for Douglass. The author did a good job of relaying the facts.