The Ever-After Bird

Author: Ann Rinaldi
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010
Pages: 232
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: Now that her father is dead, CeCe McGill is left to wonder why he risked his life for the ragged slaves who came to their door in the dead of night. When her uncle, an ornithologist, insists that she accompany him to Georgia on an expedition in searh of the rare scarlet ibis, CeCe is surprised to learn there's a second reason for their journey. Along the way, Uncle Alex secretly points slaves north in the direction of the Underground Railroad.

Set against the backdrop of the tumultuous pre-Civil War South, The Ever-After Bird is the story of a young woman's education about the horrors of slavery and the realization about the kind of person she wants to become.

Review: Full disclosure - when this book popped up on Pinterest, it sounded interesting to me. I didn't realize at the time that it's written for ages 10+. Oh well, not the first time I've made that mistake, and since I have children who are 12 and 10, I thought this might be something they'd like to read after me. Never hurts to screen a book, right? Or, if we all read it, we can all discuss it.

I've read better historical fiction written for this age group, but this wasn't bad. The writing is basic, conflicts between the characters are ones that this young age group can identify with, and it's based on a real person. It's a good book.