A Time of Angels - Softcover

Hesse, Karen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1423115732 ISBN 13: 9781423115731

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion, 2008

Synopsis

In 1918, war separates Hannah Gold and her younger sisters from their parents. The girls stay with their Tanta Rose in the West End of Boston while the await the return of their Mother and Father and the beloved family life they once knew. When a deadly influenza epidemic strikes, Hannah and her aunt struggle to keep illness at bay.  But evertually, like so many others, Tanta Rose  and younger girls succumb to the virus.  Hannah flees Boston to seek refuge with a relative but falls ill on the train.  As the fever intensifies strange voices and faces surround Hannah, most remarkably a girl with violet eyes who seems to always turn up at the right moment in the most  unexpected place. Through every devestating turn, Hannah continues to hold out hope of being reunited with her family.  Will she realize her dreams? 

About this title

About the Author

Karen Hesse lives in Vermont with her husband and two teenaged daughters. Her book OUT OF THE DUST was awarded the Newbery Medal for 1998.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9?A warm, personal novel set in Boston during 1918. Hannah Gold, 14, and her two sisters live with their Tanta Rose while their parents are trapped in Russia because of the war. Although life is not easy, Tanta Rose provides for the girls as best she can. Rose's companion Vashti, however, feels that the girls are an intrusion. When the deadly influenza epidemic ravishes the city, Hannah's world is turned upside-down. Driven away by Vashti after Rose's death, the feverish young woman is guided to safety by a beautiful, ethereal girl (actually, an angel) who saved her life once before. She is nursed back to health on a Vermont farm by an old man whose strength and wisdom give her the courage to go back to Boston and to make peace with Vashti. Aspects of Jewish culture are nicely incorporated into the story, as are period details. However, some plot elements may cause confusion. The angel, portrayed as a guiding force instead of a fully developed character, interacts with Hannah on an almost subconscious level. Also, some of Hannah's actions do not seem realistic. Shortcomings aside, Hesse offers readers much to enjoy, analyze, and consider in this piece of historical fiction with a mystical bent.?Tracey Kroll, Brookland Middle School, Richmond, VA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1423115732
• ISBN 13: 9781423115731
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256