After being orphaned, twelve year old Sarah is bounced from family to family in a small Ohio town. She holds onto the promise she made to her mother to continue the work of the Underground Railroad, but is unsure whom to trust and how to keep that promise. Although she loved her parents, she realizes that she must find another family to care for her until she is old enough to care for herself. Her faith and the care of others carry her through dark times and trials. Without giving away the ending, I enjoyed reading how Sarah finds that she can trust her friends and her Lord with the wish and desires of her heart.
Sarah’s Wish was written by Jim Baumgardner, a Kansan who loves history--so much so that he writes historical fiction and volunteers as an interpretive guide at the Old Cowtown Museum in Wichita, Kansas. He is also a grandfather, writing for his grandchildren, so he is careful about not including anything that would not be appropriate for children, even in the interest of “realism.”
Mr. Baumgardner has a knack for capturing dialects, although at times the cliches get in the way of understanding exactly what the characters mean. Each character’s personality comes through in the dialog, especially Granny, who guides and protects Sarah until she can find a new home.
With just 14 chapters in 124 pages, the book is the perfect length for a read aloud when studying the 1850s (pre-civil war) in America. Most average third-fourth grade readers will have no problem reading through this enjoyable story. Purchase of the book for $10.99 plus shipping includes a free audio book that can be downloaded and burned to a CD or transferred to media players.
Two new books are available in the series, Sarah’s Promise and Sarah’s Escape. Each of these books is longer than the first and promises to take readers along as Sarah continues her adventures.
Books are available for purchase at the Sarah Books site.
