FORTY ACRES AND MAYBE A MULE

Getting the 40 acres (and maybe a mule) that Reconstructionists have promised freed slaves after the Civil War is hard enough. Holding on to such a farm is nigh onto impossible in this moving story of young Pascal, his determined older brother, and the other African-Americans who form an ad hoc family as they try to make a fresh start using the only currency they have--their newfound freedom. Narrator Andrea Johnson sounds like a favorite teacher reading aloud to her spellbound class as she guides listeners gently through the highs and lows of this heartfelt story. M.C. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 01]