I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly: The Diary of Patsy, a Freed Girl, Mars Bluff, South Carolina, 1865

Dear America

by Joyce Hansen

The two-time Coretta Scott King Honor Book recipient offers a poignant narrative about a freed slave girl during the Reconstruction Era in the South.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Historical, Middle Grade, Childrens, Civil War

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Joyce Hansen has been writing books and stories for children and young adults for over twenty years. Joyce was born and raised in New York City, the setting of her early contemporary novels. She grew up with two younger brothers and her parents in an extended family that included aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents, all living nearby in the Morrisania section of the Bronx.

Attending Bronx public schools, she graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School in 1960. While working secretarial jobs during the day, Joyce attended Pace University in New York City at night, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree. She then began her teaching career in the New York City public schools and earned a Master of Arts degree from New York University. She also taught writing and literature at Empire State College (State University of New York).

Joyce’s first children’s book, The Gift-Giver, published in 1980, was inspired by her own Bronx childhood and by her students. She continued to teach and write until retiring from teaching in 1995. Joyce Hansen presently lives in South Carolina with her husband and writes full-time.

Reviews

[Kathy Davie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This chapter book is part of the Dear America series from Scholastic with a story based from the viewpoint of a young, recently freed slave girl in Mars Bluff, South Carolina, in 1865.

This tale is also a Coretta Scott King Honor book.

My Take
I just kept wanting to cry throughout this story, but I had to laugh as well, for Patsy had everyone fooled. Her own rebellion, and I'm with Patsy at the joke. It's also sad from a very personal standpoint as Patsy is both the least of the slaves, the most unwanted, and with no family. It breaks my heart to read how badly she wants to be part of a family, to be loved, to be wanted. She also wants to be her own person, so part of the story is of Patsy's search for her own name. One that belongs to her and means something.

It's a different perspective, seeing the effects of the end of the Civil War from a slave's viewpoint. While it is particularly about Patsy whom everyone believes is mentally slow. it's also a secondhand view as Patsy includes what the other slaves are saying and thinking. But we also watch Patsy's evolution: the inner one in which she comes to understand why the people around her act as they do and the external one in which everyone around her comes to see her value.

I was so angry with Master and Mistress for not telling their slaves about their being free; I can understand why they didn't, but it doesn't lessen how I feel.

You'd think that with slaves walking off right and left that the Davises would be nicer to the ones who are still there...

Do read the "Life in America in 1865" that follows after the Epilogue as it provides historical data about the African Americans who went on to survive---or not. It's important that each new generation understand the wrongs done, to ensure that these evil doings don't crop up again. We need to learn from history. Learn what to do and, almost more important, what not to do.

The Story
It's the end of the war, but Master and Mistress aren't explaining what it means, not when it will impinge on their own comforts. But one by one, their former slaves are slipping off, leaving Patsy with more and more tasks to learn.

Slowly, slowly, it comes out that Patsy can read. The only one amongst them who can, and when the promised teacher doesn't show or the reverend can't make it, they all turn to Patsy.

The Characters
Patsy has a limp and stammers and stutters, leading people to think she's slow. You might want to explore Patsy's favorite book, The History of Little Goody Two Shoes and see what it is that attracts her along with A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys that Patsy likes as well.

James is the slave who tends to Master. And I mean everything! Cook---Susan!---is a dab hand at food and with medications. Ruth Johnson and Miriam are house slaves along with Patsy; Nancy is Mistress' personal lady's maid. And slave. Luke is Ruth's son; John is the husband Ruth is hoping will come back for her. Brother Solomon is the headman over the field hands and helps the overseer; he's also the one who puts in the request for school and land. Sister Violet is Brother Solomon's wife. Douglass is a young field hand whom Patsy has her eye on. Richard is a field hand who broke his contract and is forced to return. I wish the Davises had been forced to keep to their contract!

Mistress Davis is her terrified and nasty little owner along with her husband, Thomas Davis, who is only called Master or Sir. Annie and Charles are her niece and nephew who teach Patsy how to read, inadvertently. Sarah is Mistress' cousin coming to stay after their possessions were burned when Columbia was destroyed. Nellie and the Wild One are Sarah's children.

Mister Joe is a freedman who does all sorts of odd jobs. The Reverend Chaplain Henry McNeal is working with the Freedmen's Bureau. He starts a Union League at Davis Hall and talks to the slaves about their rights, reads them the news, and explains how the end of the war affects them.

Mary Ella is Nancy's mother who comes looking for her.

The Cover
The cover focuses on an oval cutout of Patsy in red kerchief and the shoulder strap of her white shift. The background image is hazed over and depicts a gathering of slaves in the woods overlooking what appears to be a large bay.

The title says it all for this slave girl who wrote in her secret journal that I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly: The Diary of Patsy, a Freed Girl.

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely story of pain from being enslaved and joy of being free equals a fine book.

[Kira · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought my Soul would rise and fly by Joyce Hansen is an epistolary book written in the form of diary entries of a newly freed slave girl living on a plantation in South Carolina during the civil war.

The author did a good job at communication the daily mundane life of Patsy at the plantation and how th freedom didn't come at an instant like everyone expected but people learned to understand and accept it over a period of time.

Patsy's journey to freedom was not an easy one and there were times I was horrified when it dawned on me that a countless number of people lived their whole life working for someone else never seeing a dime for all the hard work they put in.

I wish it was more insightful than it was though and we got to know more about Patsy's life after she left the plantation.

3 stars.

[Leeanne G · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dear Canada books are one of my favourite series so I was excited to try a Dear America book, which is the same idea as the Dear Canadas.

I've never read a book about what happened to the slaves after the end of the Civil War when they gained their 'freedom', so this book was really interesting. I love the fact that the author, Joyce Hansen was inspired to create the character of Patsy after reading a short mention of a "lame, solitary, very dull, slow, timid, and friendless" slave girl named Ann in the true diary of Emma Holmes.

It took me a little bit to get into this book but soon I had a hard time putting it down. I really liked Patsy. I was cheering her on as she tried to gain the courage to tell the others she could read and share her knowledge of words with everyone. I also really liked Luke and Ruth. Luke was adorable and Ruth was a wonderful, kind friend to Patsy when she didn't have any others. The historical aspect was tied in very nicely and Patsy was realistically confused about many of the changes that were happening around her.

Overall this was as good as the Dear Canada series and I look forward to finding more of this series. America is my neighbour and their history is often tied in with Canada's, so it feels very important to me to learn about them too.

[Pumkin pie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very good. I enjoyed listening to Pasty's thoughts and learning about her day-to-day life. Very interesting!

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember trying to read this book in elementary school. Dear America books were a hot commodity and it was difficult to get a hold of one in the school library and so I was excited to discover this book, which was "new" to me because no one in my class had read this one. However, I ultimately abandoned it because I really had no idea what was going on. California schools teach absolutely nothing about the Reconstruction era. Not to mention, this book is very introspective and focuses on Patsy's emotional journey, which was probably a bit too mature for my 10 year old brain to understand, especially considering my favorites in the series at the time were more "action packed".

That said, as an adult revisiting the Dear America series, I really enjoyed this one. Patsy's struggle to discover herself and understand her place in the world now that slavery is abolished is very well written and heartfelt. Her ultimate realization that she can forge a new identity for herself and be the person she's dreamed to be is very inspiring. As I said before, this book is kind of a slow burn compared to some others in the series, but it's still very good. I definitely recommend it and I wish I had had an adult to read it with when I was a kid so I could have enjoyed it then, too.

[Destiny Velazquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The historical fiction book, Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly: The Diary of Patsy a Freed Girl Mars Bluff South Carolina 1865, is an entertaining, enchanting, emotional book. The book is now one of my favorite books I have read. It shows the perspective of a young african girl who was a slave for as long as she could remember. Until the civil war ended and if she was able to leave the people that she worked for and start a new life. But she did not want to, she kept on thinking that her family would find her and so she waited. While waiting for her family, some of her closest friends left to be with their families. This story is sad and truly heartbreaking when you think about it , because this story could have been true and you will never know. It is also crazy because Patsy was so independent and inspiring, and I could never be like her. Overall, I forsure recommend this book to any one who likes to read historical fiction.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!!!!!! It was so great and it helped me view more of what the salves went though! Being black I loved to see what their view of life was.

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now, I’ve read the book I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly: The Diary of Patsy, a Freed Girl, Mars Bluff, South Carolina, 1865 by Joyce Hansen more than once, and I have more than plenty of good and positive things to say about it. I think it’s superbly neat, as well as highly well-written, too. 😊📘

From my perspective, I like the entry titled Friday, April 21, 1865. In it, Patsy begins her diary this way:

Friday, April 21, 1865
I am so frightened my heart is dancing a reel in my chest. I’ve never written in a book before. If Mistress Davis catch me she’ll whip me and take you away, little book. She’ll also take the pen and ink and say that I stole them. But I have not. Her own niece, Annie, gave you to me this morning as a joke. Annie and her brother Charles enjoy making fun of me. And it was Annie who taught me how to read as a joke as well, until Mistress made her stop.
“We are only playing school, Aunt,” Annie would say. “Patsy isn’t learning anything. She is the dunce, Charles is the smart pupil, and I am the teacher.”
“That’s not a proper game. Suppose one of our visitors sees you and misunderstands. It’s illegal to teach slaves how to read and write. It spoils them.”
But it was too late, for I had already learned how. Whenever newspapers was thrown away for burning I would take a page and hide it under my pallet, so that when I was alone, I could practice reading words. And whenever I was by the creek or in the kitchen garden, I would get a small stick that I used as a pen and practice writing letters in the dirt. I never let anyone know. Annie was a willful child, so we never stopped playing the game. And the more I played the dunce, the more I learned.
I’ve been tending to Annie and Charles from the time their father, Master’s brother, brought them to Davis Hall to live after their mother died. They were babies and I was but a little tot myself, maybe about three or four years old. I had to help one of the women, who was too old to work in the fields, take care of them. Serving Annie and Charles has been my task ever since.
This morning, when Annie gave you to me, little book, she said, “Now that the War has ended, we are leaving South Carolina, Patsy. Charles and I can’t carry all of our belongings so we are giving you this diary, ink, and a pen. You must write all of your beautiful thoughts in this book while we are gone.” Annie and Charles laughed until tears ran down their cheeks. “Imagine a dunce having beautiful thoughts,” Charles said.
I know what a dunce is, but I stared at them as if I didn’t understand what they were saying. Then Charles stuck his book in my face. “Patsy," he said, “don’t forget to put a date first each time you write your beautiful thoughts. Today is Friday, April 21, 1865. You must tell what happens in your life.”
These are my thoughts. I don’t suppose they are beautiful, but the joke is on Annie and Charles. They thought they were giving me something I couldn’t use. Now I can write as Mistress Davis does in her book. I will keep track of all of my days.
Mostly, my thoughts are about where I’ve always lived here on the Davis Hall Plantation and how everything is changing and remaining the same all at once.
The grown-ups hold secrets, and whispers hang in the air like the strands of moss that dangle from some of the oak trees. All of Master’s hounds was poisoned and the plantation jail and the whipping post was burned down. No one knows who did it. The grown-ups talk about the people who left Davis Hall last week — the carpenter, the cobbler, and the blacksmith.
Cook says that the Yankees won the War and that we are free. But Master and Mistress have not said a word about us being free. Cook is still cooking and complaining. She is so mean, one of these days she’s going to cuss up her ownself. James is still taking care of Master. Does everything for him. When Master catch a cold, James be the one who sneeze. Nancy is still taking care of Mistress and following behind her like a noonday shadow. Ruth is still cleaning and making sure the house is the way Mistress wants it. Miriam is still washing and ironing and gossiping with Cook. The field hands are still plowing and planting. I am still emptying chamber pots. (p. 3-6)


Friday, May 5, 1865
Dear Friend,
It rained so hard today, but when it stopped the sun was bright and the air smelled fresh and clean. When Nancy entered the kitchen this afternoon to take some tea to Mistress and Sarah, she told Cook and Ruth that Master and Mistress are sad because everyone is leaving. Cook sucked her teeth so loud, it echoed from the kitchen to the road. Cook said, “They sad because slavery is over and we all is equal now.” Then she put her hands on her hips and said, “Nancy, I been meaning to tell you. Stop saying Master and Mistress. That’s slavery-time talk. Sir and Ma’am be good enough.”
Ruth agreed and added that she could also say Mister Davis and Missus Davis. (p. 35)

Eventually, Patsy decides to call her diary a friend and begins her entries by writing, “Dear Friend.” (p. 7)

Evening
The world has gone crazy. Cook is leaving and everything is a mess. I must go to help Ruth serve the family their dinner.

Monday, May 15, 1865
Dear Friend,
It is so strange now without Cook. I wondered yesterday why she didn’t go to the bush arbor as she usually did on Sundays. I couldn’t go either because she told me to cut up the meat for pepper pot stew. When Ma'am and Sir came from church, Cook went to The House. I knew something was wrong. Cook rarely went to The House.
A few moments later, she returned to the kitchen shed. Ma’am and Sir, looking upset, rushed in after her.
I’ve never seen Ma’am so begging. I was surprised that she didn’t fly into one of her red rages. Her voice cracked as she spoke. She said, “You have been the best of servants. My mother depended upon you, and you made her last days comfortable. We all relied on you when anyone was ill. You nursed me through four confinements. Please, Susan, don’t leave us.” (Susan is Cook’s real name.)
Sir told Cook that he would pay her twice what her new employers were going to give her. Cook refused. “If I stay in this house where I been a slave, I’ll never know I’m free. This here stew I made should last a couple of days till you get another cook.” She turned around and, without another word or a smile, walked away from the kitchen shed with a small bundle of her belongings balanced on her head. I limped across the lawn behind her. It was my last chance to ask her about my history. I tried mightily not to stammer as I called to her.
She frowned. “Come on, gal. Stop hooting like a owl. Say what you want to say.”
I finally got it out. But she doesn’t know who my mother is. She said I came here with a new passel of slaves Sir bought. There was only men in the bunch and me. One of the men was holding me. She didn't think he was my pa, and she said my mother probably died somewhere along the way. Ma’am brought me to The House and Cook brought me back from near death. Then one of the old women in the quarters kept me, but I took sick again and Ma’am carried me back to The House. I been there ever since. That’s all she knew.
“Patsy, now you forget about all them old slavery-time things what happened. It done.”
She opened the gate and took one last look at The House. I waved goodbye to her, and she waved back and smiled. I think that’s the first time she ever smiled at me.
My heart is sad, thinking of a mother who may have died.
As I sit here writing in the storeroom, I can’t help thinking about Cook. It doesn’t feel right in the kitchen without her looking miserable and saying something comical about everyone. I wish I knew all along that Cook had taken care of me when I was a sick baby. I am sorry that I hated her sometimes and thought she was mean. She was just being Cook. (p. 48-50)

Saturday, June 10, 1865
Nancy is miserable. She is afraid she’ll have to go with her mother. I don’t feel sorry for her.
Ruth was paid her wages today, ten dollars, and she was so happy. Mister Joe had to go to the store for Sir and was taking Ruth and Luke with him. Luke chattered about it all morning. He’d never been to a store, nor had I. In the past, most of the things we needed were made right on Davis Hall. Anyway, during slavery time, we were never allowed to leave the plantation, except to walk down the road to St. Philip’s on Sunday mornings.
Ruth even put on her Sunday dress. “If anyone looks for me, Patsy, you tell them I went to the store and I’ll be back.”
I nodded, but I must have looked so sad. She asked me whether I'd emptied the chamber pots and made the beds. I nodded, yes, then she said, “Oh, gal, come on with us. Anybody say anything, I’ll say I need you to help me.”
“Come on, little daughter,” Mister Joe said as I limped up into the cart. He talked the whole time we rode into town.
We passed small farms with stick-and-mud houses and tiny cabins. Mister Joe told us they belonged mostly to poor white farmers. The whole family is working the fields. Then we rode past a larger farm, seemed almost as big as Davis Hall. The forest was pushed way back and the black laborers were working the cotton fields. Did Reverend McNeal preach at this farm, too?
The town was so very exciting. There is the store, in a white frame house, with a warehouse behind it, a mill, and a blacksmith shop. Mule and horse carts were tied to a railing that wound around the store. Some fancy horse and buggies sat on the other side of the road, shaded by large oak trees.
When we walked inside the store, it felt like Christmastime. It was crowded with people and so many things to buy! Luke’s eyes got so big, I thought they’d pop out of his head. My eyes were probably popping, too. Ruth’s mouth was wide open. The only one who acted like they had sense was Mister Joe. He walked up to the man who was selling things, while me, Ruth, and Luke stared all around us as if we were fool.
Oh, there were so many things, my Friend. Calico cloth in pink and blue, not like the plain homespun we always wear. I wiggled my toes as I stared at the beautiful slippers — some in yellow, others green. There were combs, ribbons, and soaps. Imagine not having to make your own soap. And there were jars overflowing with lemon drops and peppermint drops like Sir and Ma’am give us for Christmas. I saw sardines in cans, little silver brushes and mirrors, and beautiful chamber sets, with blue and white bowls and basins.
But, Friend, the thing that caught my eye was sheets of paper I could cut and add to you, so that I don’t use you up, and bottles of ink and pen nibs. (p. 81-83)

Saturday, June 24, 1865
Dear Friend,
I am teaching Ruth and Luke one letter at a time as I saw the teacher do with Annie and Charles. I point to the letter and tell them its name and they repeat after me. Luke noticed that the letters don’t get stuck in my mouth the way words do. Ruth and I laughed. I also wrote their names for them: Ruth Johnson and Luke Johnson.
Ruth is like a mad woman. She rushed out of the kitchen this morning, and when she returned with Luke a few hours later, they had packages of paper, ink, pens, and nibs. I think Ruth spent all of her wages. Luke’s cheeks bulge with lemon drops. (p. 93)

I also like the entry titled Saturday, July 25, 1865 — especially the part where Ruth says to Patsy, “Yes, yes, of course. Lord, here we is with a teacher all along, and looking for someone on the outside” and then asks Patsy what she means by “Until the real teacher comes” before saying that Patsy is the real teacher. (p. 112)

I give this book five stars, and I highly recommend it, too.. 😊

[Erin Becker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the narrative in this book less engaging than others in the Dear America series. There are a lot of characters, and most are not fully built out, so it's hard to keep them straight.

Despite that critique, however, this is a critical installment in the series, as it covers an important and often neglected period of American history - the immediate aftermath of the Civil War. At least a couple of decades ago when I was in grade school, the narrative we were taught of Black history skipped from the end of slavery to the Civil Rights era.

The impression that i (and i expect many others) walked away with was that the delegalization of slavery immediately led to, if not fully equality for Black Americans, then at least a major change in the status quo and massively improved life conditions for the formerly enslaved. As this book amply shows, that was very often not the case. Formerly enslaved laborers were trapped in coercive work contracts, often with no cash wage. Failure to abide by these contracts could, and very often did, lead to re-enslavement through prison labor.

This book does an excellent job depicting the complex social dynamics of plantation life in the post-War South including plot points revolving around the political, labor, and educational organization of formerly enslaved people. I also appreciated the inclusion of a physically disabled central character ("Patsy", who reveals her true self-chosen name at the end, has both a limp and a speech impediment, both of which cause people to discount her intellect).

So yeah, despite the narrative not holding me on the edge of my seat, i can't in good conscience give this book less than a five star review and a heavy recommendation.

[Jreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

See? this is proof that dear america books can be good, Barry Denenberg is just not a good writer.

Unlike the book that shall not be named you actually like the main character, AMAZING

Patsy is a really fun character and you root for her, I really enjoyed this one
I loved what time this was set in, the in between of freedom and slavery

Whenever you hear about the civil war it's always like "and after the war the slaves were free" but you never see what happens in between, this book highlights that

4 stars

[Mary-Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is set in 1865 just after slavery has been abolished. It is about Patsy, a slave, who is apparently "free" now, although she has no idea how that's any different since she has no family and no means of supporting herself. It was probably the first book I've read from a slave's perspective post-slavery. Loved it!

[Lauren H]

I thought that this book is one of my favorite books ever

[Elizabeth]

⚡️childhood reread⚡️Joyce Hansen is a four time recipient of the Coretta Scott King award. Quite the testament to just how impactful and important her writing is.

[Constance · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought I’d give up on this half way through but the predominance of 4 and 5 stars by other GRers had me complete this book.
The historical references, photos, map, and ribbon book marker made this three stars for me.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a first time read for this one for me. I liked it just as much as the others in the series.

[Felix Mou · Rating 3 out of 5]

The books talk about a black girl slave called patsy, she learned how to read and write secretly and pretend she was a fool in the real life. In 1865 in us during the civil war, after the slavery have got abolished, slaves in Davis Hall decided to keeps serving their master. Patsy hopes to get back together with her family to start the new life but there was no one come for her, as she growing up, she begans to use her talent to teach the child how to reads and write in the limited space but she effect lots of people.

[Danny · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is written by Joyce Hansen. In this book The Diary of Patsy it talks about life of a normal enslaved black. Patsy was a slave in Davis Hall, she got a diary one day so she could record things happen she saw. Because of slave is illegal to learn so Patsy needed to hide her diary and learned secretly. She didn't like her life while she was a slave, she wanted freedom and slaves got freedom finally. However in Davis Hall they were still a slave. As the story progresses, most of workers in the house left to find the real freedom, sir dead as they left. By the end, Patsy left Davis Hall will most of workers and start a new life.

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little disturbed by the ending historical note that basically said the Civil Rights movements of the 1960s cured racism, but other than that, the story was good. Very hopeful.

[Catie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved these Dear America when I was younger. I just wish there were more available on audio from my library. Sadly there are only two. Great narration.

[Ashley Coby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 12 of being nice to my inner child. I looooooved these books. I have seven more to read from the library. I don’t know what to say about this book in a Goodreads review comment. Mostly I’m just remembering the one time I tried to write one of my own historical fiction diaries and it was about a girl who lived through 9/11. Except that I was ten when I tried to write the book and also that was the least of the problems with that particular book idea.

[Nsikan Akpan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s refreshing to go back and read the books that were on the shelves of my elementary school library.

[Emory · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been over two weeks since I finished this book, so my review will not be very detailed.

I think this was the very first Dear America book I ever read and I very much enjoyed it a second time. I haven’t read very many books set in the Reconstruction Era. The protagonist is Patsy, a girl who was formally enslaved, and now still lives on the plantation that she was enslaved on. The story deals with the plight of newly freed people as they grapple with what it actually means to be free and if it changes anything about their existence in the deep south in the 1860s. It’s a very informative, poignant read.

[Julianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for THC Reviews
Being a lover of history and historical fiction, I've been very excited about trying out the Dear America series for quite some time. Since all the books are written by different authors, I'm not sure how they compare to this one, but I was very pleased with my first foray into the series. I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly chronicles the life of a freed slave girl a few months after emancipation was voted into law. I was pretty sure the book was a work of fiction, but the author did such a good job with making the story believable that I had a few moments of doubt until reading the historical notes at the end which confirmed that it was. Patsy was a sweet, lovely, and very relatable character to read about. She is only about twelve or thirteen when the story open, and to the outside world she isn't much to look at. In addition to being an orphan, Patsy is painfully shy because of a severe stuttering problem, and she also walks with a pronounced limp. Inside though, she is a very brave and strong girl who secretly taught herself how to read and write during a time when the punishment for doing so could have been extremely severe. I really like how Patsy grew a lot throughout the story and became braver and more readily able to speak as time went on. She also takes so much joy and comfort from her reading that when she reads aloud, her stutter all but disappears. I really liked how the author put emphasis on the importance of literacy by showing how much it means to Patsy.

Through reading I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly, I was able to learn some things about what life was like for freed slaves. I found it interesting that their day to day lives weren't all that different after emancipation than they were before it, with the exception that they were now getting paid, albeit very low wages, for the work they were doing. Many of the former slaves from the plantation where Patsy lived left immediately, hoping to buy land of their own or find better work in the cities. Many stayed behind to become sharecroppers or to continue working as servants. There were conflicted feelings among them, and even in Patsy's mind, as to whether it was better to go or stay, and there were certainly positives and negatives to both sides of the coin. It was very interesting to learn about all of this, and the author's historical notes at the end of the book also helped to put things in perspective.

I don't believe I have ever read a book in diary format before, so I don't know if this is a typical example of a book written in that style or not. The one downside I found about this style, at least in the case of this book, is that it could be rather repetitive at times. For example: Every Monday is wash day; nearly every Tuesday the freed slaves have a Union League meeting where they discuss their rights and read the newspapers; nearly every Sunday they meet in the arbor for worship services. There is some variation in each of these entries, so it didn't bother me overmuch, but I could see how this could become tedious to kids who might be reading it. There were also a lot of characters to keep track of, and I found myself forgetting who various people were on occasion, which would probably mean that kids might have trouble with this too. I think the author's purpose was to show how lonely Patsy felt as more and more of the people she knew and had grown up with left the plantation, but it was a little hard to keep them all straight. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the book, and I am definitely looking forward to reading more books in the Dear America series. I think that this series and its companion series, My America, My Name Is America, and The Royal Diaries all have a great deal to offer both child and adult readers.

[David Chen · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Joyce Hansen's book "I Thought My Soul would Rise and Fly". It talks about life of an African American girl. Patsy was a black and she was a slave in Davis Hall, she was waiting for freedom while blacks get unequal treatment. Finally she and other left Davis Hall and start a new life. This book is very good, it let me understand history of USA.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is one of the best of the dear America books. I think it does a good job discussing the topics included.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patsy is another slave who has learned to read. Patsy is a stutterer and thought mentally deficient, but she is fluent when reading. The War is over, but slaves on Davis Plantation work like they always did.

Reconstruction has begun and the War Dept. has established the Freedman's Bureau to help break the chains of slavery. They visit plantations with slaves and tell masters that they now have to pay their slaves in cash or land, as well as feed, clothe, and house them. They have partnered up with Northern Churches to send books and school teachers for ALL the children. Only wealthy plantations educated their children. They also had lawyers to register the slaves for voting. Hence, those who did vote, called themselves REPUBLICANS, because the republic freed them.

Some Southerners resented the Northern Invasion, teachers, investors, and speculators. Resentment and Violence did not end with the War.
The Presidential Reconstruction freed slaves, gave the vote back to white males who swore allegiance to the Federalist Gov't. Confederate leaders were exempt until they sought presidential pardon.

The new President, Andrew Johnson, 1865, pardoned those Confedrate leaders of power. They promptly began to assume leadership and regulated Black Codes to enslave all over again. Southern Republicans formed Union Leagues to repeal Black Codes and elect American Africans to Congress.
From 1869-1877, they elected 16 for Congress.

In 1877, Northerners and Republicans were weary of Reconstruction and Federal Troops were withdrawn from the South. Southern Democrats quickly gained power and set up Jim Crow laws to curtail gains made by the Southern Republicans. Jim Crow was as effective as Black Codes and American Africans struggled with the vote until the civil rights movement of the 1960's.

[Mary JL · Rating 3 out of 5]

Patsy has been freed by the Civil War but life remains much the same on the plantation where she lives. Patsy has taught hereself to read and write (formal teaching of slaves was illegal) and she is writing down the story of her life.

Because she is shy and stammers when excited, most people around her think she is stupid. But Patsy starts to gain confidence as she can now teach the children their letters and to write simple words. When one of the older women complements her, she surprises herself by saying thank you without stuttering.

Eventually the time comes when the plantation owner wants the former slaves to sign a sharecropping contract. But Patsy and her friends decide to leave instead and try for a better life elsewhere.

(Paraphrase from page 167) Ma'am got excited.."You must sign." Douglas spoke: You did not keep your side (You) promised land and a school (the former Mistress had provided neither)...none of our children would have learned their letters (if not for Patsy).

Patsy confides to her diary "Friend, my soul did rise and fly. His words still sound in my ears."

Well written, as the author tells Patsy's story simply and plainly, as a young self-educated girl would do . A great suppplement to any history lesson unit on this time period just after the Civil War. A Coretta Scott King Honor Book. I enjoyed it as as an adult, but it will especially resonate with children age 9 on up. Part of the "Dear America" series by Scholastic and an excellent sample of that series' type of quality book.

Adults interested in YA literature and/or history would also enjoy this book.

[Kristal · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best Dear America books I’ve read. This one is about a young black girl during the reconstruction period. She still lives on her master’s plantation, and everyone thinks she’s stupid because she has a stammer. However, she has learned to read and write and keeps a diary and is far from stupid.

The diary covers a little less than a year. It discusses how former slaves were still doing the same tasks as they did before, how prejudice and obstacles were still very prevalent for them, and how they still pushed forward to better their situation. This book was obviously well researched, and you can see that in the books the former slaves would have read to teach themselves how to read, what the black newspapers at the time would have contained, the different laws and decrees put into place by politicians, and more.

This makes me want to learn more about the reconstruction period and more about black North American history in general!

[LobsterQuadrille · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remembered very little of this particular book, and after re-reading it I sort of see why. Patsy is an interesting character to follow, and it was a good choice to write about this overlooked time period right after the slaves were finally declared free, but the actual story is not very memorable. There is a lot of repetition and it is very slow-moving. I kept thinking back to A Picture of Freedom and how that book had some similar but more interesting characters. It was neat to learn where the term "goody two-shoes" came from, and I liked Patsy, but this is not among my favorites of this series.