A Time of Angels by Karen Hesse

A brilliant combination of historical fiction and fantasy, this book is another hit by Karen Hesse, author of the award winning Out of the Dust. At first, I was a bit hesitant picking up this book, for I knew from my past reading that she has a tendency to write about depressing subjects, such as death, mutilation or any other kind of suffering. Although that is true for this book too, it turned out to be a delightful read, full of excitement and tension. Here’s what it’s about:

When the war breaks out, Hannah Gold is left in charge of her sisters. They live with their aunt, Tanta Rose, in a flat in Boston, since their mother is trapped in Russia and their father fighting for America there. There is one secret about Hannah: she can see angels. Suddenly, the epidemic breaks out, killing thousands of people. And when it claims her loved ones too, she flees, and it might just be an angel that is needed to reunite them…

I enjoyed reading this book even though it was hard to get into at first. It’s informative yet gripping at the same time. I give it 8 stars and recommend it for ages 10+ since reading about death might disturb younger kids. A truly wonderful book.

K