At the end of the Civil War, 13-year-old Abby Joyner, who lives on an isolated plantation in Virginia, suddenly finds that she is free from slavery. She has only one obsession: to find her mother. Where is Mama? Why did she leave when Abby was a baby? And why will no one, including Abby's grandmother and the white Mistress, talk about the secrets? The solution to the mystery is both convoluted and contrived. More interesting is Abby's search for her mother, which dramatizes blacks' struggle for freedom and dignity, the ongoing racism, and also the changes for whites, rich and poor.

Gr 6-9 Abby, a 13-year-old slave, is living on Hammond Plantation in Virginia when the Civil War ends. She wants to go to "freedom," although she is not sure where that is. Mamie, who raised her, and Pap, feel that they are too old to start elsewhere. Abby is desperate to find out about her mother, who disappeared when Abby was a baby, and wonders why no one will answer her questions about her. Eventually the teen learns the truth about her parents and prepares to be reunited with her mother. Hart gives readers a glimpse into the tragic state of the South at the close of the war and the plight of the freed slaves. Although it has a slow start and the ending is a bit too neat, this novel offers an interesting look at a sad time in this nation's history. The characters are depicted as real people with faults as well as good points. The book will give some readers a better grasp of the effects of the war on everyone. Nancy P. Reeder, Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, Columbia, SC