"entertaining historical fiction"
During the Depression in Arkansas, their mother deserted
the three kids several years ago and now their father dumps
the children on his girlfriend "Aunt" Lana to unload them
on their older married sister. However, Lana abandons
thirteen year old Angel and her two younger siblings Willie
and Ida May in a movie theater. Angel tries to hitch a
ride with a trucker who deposits them on a traveling
retired schoolteacher. Instead of taking the children to
their older sister, the teacher ditches them in a remote
area while stealing their possessions. The trucker Jeb Nubey stops nearby and the kids sneak into
his truck. When the law stops him, the children pretend to
be his family. Already on the lam for an alleged attempted
murder in Texarkana, Jeb takes the children to their adult
sibling only to find her home deserted. Jeb soon pretends
to be a widowed preacher raising the trio by himself.
However, it is Angel who tries to turn this pretend quartet
into a real family. This is an entertaining historical fiction that paints a
disturbing picture of the Depression via the treatment of
the three Welby children by family and others. Still
through the actions of Angel, forced into maturity beyond
her years, hope exists even for this downtrodden group.
The characters make the tale as the FALLEN ANGELS will hook
readers with their plight. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted April 1, 2003
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