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panda_incognito's review
5.0
Wow. I remember liking the Addy short stories more than some of the others, but I didn't remember just how expertly crafted they are. Then again, I appreciate this far more as an adult, since I now have experience with writing and know more about history. It amazes me to see how well Connie Porter wove history and life lessons into these stories, and even though they are very brief, they each convey a strong character arc and powerful messages.
I don't want to spoil any of the stories, but my favorite is "Addy's Wedding Quilt." It is a beautiful testimony to resilience, family, and the meaning of marriage, and was my introduction as a child to the concept of "jumping the broom." This story is even better than I had recalled through the lens of childhood nostalgia, and "High Hopes for Addy," which I had only vague remembered as a school story, was incredibly powerful and left me choked up at the end.
I highly recommend this book, or the individually published short stories, to anyone who is interested in American Girl, Black history, or historical fiction in general. These are phenomenal, and the beautiful illustrations and detailed historical notes elevate this book to another plane entirely. This is everything that I love about American Girl, and I am so grateful that I was able to buy a nice, reasonably priced copy of this rare, out-of-print book.
I don't want to spoil any of the stories, but my favorite is "Addy's Wedding Quilt." It is a beautiful testimony to resilience, family, and the meaning of marriage, and was my introduction as a child to the concept of "jumping the broom." This story is even better than I had recalled through the lens of childhood nostalgia, and "High Hopes for Addy," which I had only vague remembered as a school story, was incredibly powerful and left me choked up at the end.
I highly recommend this book, or the individually published short stories, to anyone who is interested in American Girl, Black history, or historical fiction in general. These are phenomenal, and the beautiful illustrations and detailed historical notes elevate this book to another plane entirely. This is everything that I love about American Girl, and I am so grateful that I was able to buy a nice, reasonably priced copy of this rare, out-of-print book.
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