Ella lives with her grandparents and two cousins in rural South Carolina. They live with the daily burden of Jim Crow - limited in where they can go and forced to use colored-only washrooms and water fountains. Ella's mother left long ago to pursue her dreams of being a jazz singer in Boston, and Ella longs to join her mother, and to find out the identity of her father. The children witness racism in the South and Ella experiences complicated feelings as she works out her place in her family. ( )

Ella is a biracial girl living with her cousins and grandparents in Jim Crow rural South Carolina in the 1940s. She’s never met her father and her mother lives in Boston, pursuing a singing career while working at a naval shipyard. While Ella is loved and cared for by her grandparents, and cousin Henry is her best friend, she is excited to go to Boston and finally live with her mother. Life with Mama is not what Ella expected: Mama is often tired from her job and can be mercurial. Ella spends her days in the apartment, not enrolled in school. Absorbing and atmospheric historical fiction. Sense of place whether rural or city is strongly defined. To an extent, a character-driven story, particularly portrayals of Ella, Mama, Henry, Helen, Poppy. Ella’s family is love and warmth despite the prejudices of outer world. Dialogue rings true and naturally. Bit of intrigue to Mama, the Parkers, Helen as readers decipher who they really are, what’s their stories? ( )

One sentence theme: Life for a young African-American girl in the Jim Crow south is both joyful and challenging as she faces her mother's career choices, the mystery of her father's identity and a friend's trial for the murder of two while girls.

Summary: Living with loving grandparents in a mixed family, 12-year-old Ella enjoys the pleasures of childhood in a small town. She is invited to live with her mother in Boston and struggles to become a part of her mother's life. During the day, her mother works at a naval year and in the evenings explores opportunities as a singer. Ella returns to her grandparents when her mother suddenly decides to move to New York. The story of a family friend who is accused of the murder of two while girls is woven in.

The story is told through the first person accounts of Ella and two other children living together.

Personal response: In the author's note, Parson says this story emerged from a comment that her mother made about having a happy childhood in the Jim Crow south in the 1940s and 50s. As she developed the fictional characters, she discovered the story of George Stinney, Jr, (14) who was convicted of and executed for the murder of two white girls.

During the course of the story, Ella discovers her father is white and her mother's sexual orientation. She endures racial restrictions in the south and the relative freedom for blacks in Boston. Children discover the bodies three people who have been lynched. A close family friend is tried and executed for murder.

I enjoyed this story of a black family that rose above their historical situation to provide security and joy. Diverse people help and hurt the main characters. The book ends positively with a warm description of a family Christmas. The story, however, presents very serious themes and events.

Curricular connections: This title could be used as a supplemental reading for an American History unit on the Jim Crow era. Students conduct could follow-up research on the story of George Stinney, Jr. ( )

Clearly a book all young people should put on their shelves. Well written and covering a time for the most part is gone, but kids, 8-12, are seeing a whole different side to our country today and will be aware that bad things happen to good people. I put this book right up there with The Hatchet and Because of Winn Dixie, both enjoyed years ago by my children and I'm sending this to my great nieces and nephews to read. ( )

Please see my review on Amazon.com under C. Wong. ( )