Synopsis
Unable to endure the discrimination in his small Mississippi town when he returns home from serving in France during World War I, Flo's father moves the family to Chicago, where jazz symbolizes the freedom he hopes they will find.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 1997-04-01 | | Series: | Her Story Series | | Illustrator: | Robert Steele |
| Size | | Length: | 123 pages | | Height: | 9.0 in | | Width: | 5.8 in | | Thickness: | 0.2 in | | Weight: | 8.0 oz |
Publisher's Note
Florence's father returns from World War I to move his family from Mississippi to Chicago.
Industry Reviews
Gr 3-6 Both of these books get off to a slow start, but they eventually draw readers into the action. Florence's father has returned home to Mississippi at the end of World War I and realizes he wants the same rights as those of the town's white citizens. His outspoken behavior makes him and his family unwelcome in Parkersville and they move to Chicago. There, Florence discovers a different way of life, as well as jazz music. She is a runner-up in an essay contest sponsored by the Chicago Defender (the black newspaper), for which children are asked to write about why their family came to the city. In the happy ending, her mother adjusts to urban living and there is money for her father to record his own jazz piece on the piano. The story of Florence and her family illustrates the difficult times experienced by African Americans in the early 20th century. Priscilla, now a grandmother, shares the story of her involvement in the Salem Witch Trials with her granddaughter, Hannah. The slow-moving dialogue doesn't pick up until the second or third chapter when readers discover that Granny Priss and her friends' actions actually began the hysteria. Each book includes a helpful time line of the events as well as an endnote about the historical situations that form the basis of the stories. The excellent-quality, full-color illustrations effectively convey a sense of time and place. These titles offer readers glimpses into important events in American history from a feminine point of view. Allison Trent Bernstein, Blake Middle School, Medfield, MA
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