Michael Phillips. Angels Watching Over Me. Bethany House. 2003.

The American Civil War caused brother to rise against brother; cousin against cousin and related families to fight on opposite sides of the war. Of course, slavery was one of the issues that caused the war.

Angels Watching Over Me is the story of the time period immediately following the end of the American Civil War. The slaves were free and were slowly leaving their masters and heading out for life on their own. Mrs. Clairborne was running the plantation while her husband served in the war. She was having a struggle and had been forced to borrow money from the bank when crops failed to produce as expected.

Katie, her daughter, grew up surrounded with all the comforts of being a plantation owner's daughter. She played a violin and piano. Books were readily available to her and generously provided by her family. If she needed an afternoon snack, the kitchen maid did the cooking and served her. If the fire needed stoking, the appropriate slave did so. She had every expectation of growing up to lead a similar lifestyle. To her, the slaves were just the people who did the work of the plantation. Katie barely knew how to take care of herself even though she was nearly old enough to marry.

Mayme, a young black teenager, lived in slaves' quarters. She was used to barely surviving while providing the labor that kept yet another plantation owner wealthy. She had suffered through watching members of her immediate family sold off when they couldn't do the heavy work or weren't suitable for producing the next generation. She had the bare essentials including sharing a one room cabin with her entire family.

The heart of the story takes place just after the war ended. During this time period, renegade soldiers went throughout the south killing whole families and destroying property. These soldiers simply did not accept the results of the war. Blacks and whites alike experienced the horrors these soldiers visited upon the population.

A group of these soldiers killed the servants and Katie's mother. At another plantation, a short distance away, Mayme watched as her family was slaughtered. Only by hiding did either of these young girls survive the terror. After the soldiers left their respective plantations, both girls had to work to bury those killed.

Mayme left her plantation seeking shelter and safety. She and Katie soon found each other and began the struggle of surviving together. They learned to hide when additional men came to the plantation. Blacks and whites becoming close friends was highly unusual at this period in history. The rest of the story shares their determination to keep the plantation going while hiding the fact that no adults were left alive.

Do you like an exciting story based on historical facts? If so, this book is for you. It is easy reading and will keep you glued to the book until you have read it from cover to cover. If you happen to have a daughter studying United States history, hand this book to her. Reading it will give her a greater understanding of life during that period of time.

Copyrighted by Diana Pederson, 2005-2009