A review by llama_lord
I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly: The Diary of Patsy, a Freed Girl, Mars Bluff, South Carolina, 1865 by Joyce Hansen

4.0

I remember trying to read this book in elementary school. Dear America books were a hot commodity and it was difficult to get a hold of one in the school library and so I was excited to discover this book, which was "new" to me because no one in my class had read this one. However, I ultimately abandoned it because I really had no idea what was going on. California schools teach absolutely nothing about the Reconstruction era. Not to mention, this book is very introspective and focuses on Patsy's emotional journey, which was probably a bit too mature for my 10 year old brain to understand, especially considering my favorites in the series at the time were more "action packed".

That said, as an adult revisiting the Dear America series, I really enjoyed this one. Patsy's struggle to discover herself and understand her place in the world now that slavery is abolished is very well written and heartfelt. Her ultimate realization that she can forge a new identity for herself and be the person she's dreamed to be is very inspiring. As I said before, this book is kind of a slow burn compared to some others in the series, but it's still very good. I definitely recommend it and I wish I had had an adult to read it with when I was a kid so I could have enjoyed it then, too.