School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-10-An enlightening history of this complex period. The title derives from a haunting lyric, written by 19th-century African-American poet and speaker Frances E. W. Harper, who captured the yearnings of a people wanting to escape their bondage. Once free, formerly enslaved women and men found new struggles facing them, as many promises were broken and hope was too often transformed into oppression. The author tells the story dramatically, incorporating compelling primary-source materials and quotations. Several biographical sketches of prominent African Americans of the time personify the major themes explored in the book. Well-chosen, attractively presented black-and-white reproductions and photographs add additional information. There is fine reading here for both research and pleasure, and content sure to prompt discussion.-Starr E. Smith, Marymount University Library, Arlington, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Gr. 6^-10. In this excellent overview, Hansen offers a detailed synopsis of the brutal, complex era following the Civil War. Remarkably concise introductory chapters lay the historical groundwork for the period, discussing how slavery in the Americas became an institution, and the divisive moral and economic factors that led to the Civil War, carefully dispelling the North's image as a universally anti-abolitionist body. Subsequent chapters, illustrated with photos, drawings, lithographs, and cartoons, focus on the massive postwar upheaval: the disintegration of plantation life; the establishment of "Black Codes," and other compromises to the basic rights of freed blacks; the formation of public-school systems, universities, and presses serving black interests; and the ongoing postwar split between the North and South. Brief biographies spotlight legendary African American figures who brought about change, suggesting subjects for report writing and further research. Readers of this balanced, well-written account will come away with a solid understanding of the period's events and how they contributed to the twentieth century's segregation and prejudice. Extensive source notes and a bibliography are appended. --Gillian Engberg