Posted by Jim Lawrence on October 23, 2001 at 10:17:12:
[5 out of 5 stars] Inspirational, Character-Driven Story, December 28, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from Asheville, North Carolina
"Annie's Angel" is a strong, character-driven story about the struggles of a Southern Appalachian family to survive in the area known as "Hillbilly Land" in Uptown Chicago in the fall of 1963. Though graphically presented (and probably not for younger readers), the book is ultimately an inspiring testament to the power of the human spirit to survive through all kinds of adversity. The 14-year-old protagonist, Annie Mae McCree, is one of the more vividly drawn characters I have discovered in recent fiction. She draws us into the story, and, with her, we experience not only the physical aspects of her struggles, but the spiritual aspects as well. A stone angel in Chicago's Graceland Cemetery becomes symbolic of Annie's struggle to understand the universal problems of suffering and death. Whether or not there are really guardian angels "out there" somewhere is left ambiguous, but the author effectively makes the case that we often encounter "angels" through other people. This is a well-written story and reads very well; but it is also rather provocative and will stay with you for some time afterwards.