Behind the Masks

December 1, 2011
A not-so-shy Angeline is a force for justice in a Wild West town that is out of control. In 1880s Bodie, Calif., there is no safety. Criminals run amok, along with a corrupt sheriff and a vigilante gang, all striking terror into bad guys and decent citizens alike. When Angie Reddy's father, a renowned criminal lawyer, is said to have been murdered, neither Angie nor her mother believes it. Angie sets out to find answers and discovers that she is pluckier, stronger and more determined than she believed herself to be. She is aided in her quest by the mysterious Ling Loi, new friend Ellie, young, handsome Antoine and the Horrible performance group. Together they bravely encounter cruelty, kindness, adventure and a host of fascinating and frightening characters. The female characters, missing from so much of the Western genre, are strong, passionate and enduring, with fully developed back stories. As Momma says, "[W]omen out west need to be ready to do most anything." Employing the diary format common to the Dear America series, would-be writer Angie paints a vivid picture of her life in that time and place. Primitive medicine and dentistry, gossip, prejudices, education, local politics, even clothing, parties and romance are all woven into Angie's account, adding richness and texture to the plot. A rip-roaring tale with a satisfying conclusion. (author's note, historical note) (Historical fiction. 9-14)

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January 1, 2012

Gr 5-8-Angeline Reddy, 14, is distraught when her father, a criminal lawyer in a California gold-mining town in 1880, disappears and is declared dead by the local newspapers and coroner. Angie and her mother are sure that he is alive and enlist her pals Ellie and Ling Loi to help solve the mystery. When the friends see a ghost and witness a murder by a gang of vigilantes, Angie becomes even more desperate to find her dad. Patron does not shy away from gritty topics like brothels and includes real people among her cast of characters. (In a detailed historical note, she informs readers that Patrick and Emma Reddy were famous, but childless). A fast-paced, action-packed novel.-Terry Ann Lawler, Phoenix Public Library, AZ

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2011
Grades 4-8 Patron returns to the locale of her Newbery-winning The Higher Power of Lucky (2006) in this Dear America series title set in Bodie, California, in 1880. Fourteen-year-old diarist and would-be dramatist Angeline Reddy does not believe her father, criminal lawyer Patrick Reddy, has been murdered. Convinced his disappearance is purposeful, Angie investigates his demise and tries to bring him back to their rough-and-tumble mining community. Assisted by friends, a dashing young Wells Fargo clerk, and the members of a local theater troupe, the witty and insouciant Angie offers a revealing look at frontier lifeespecially preoccupations with thespian entertainments, racial and social prejudices, and vigilante justice. This complex novel, featuring multidimensional characters, is related in formal Victorian prose; Patron's style affects the tone of a comedic mystery/melodrama, well suited to the story's theme that people often hide their true selves (both good and bad) behind disguises. Appended with historical notes, period photos, and directions for making masks, this should appeal to fans of Sid Fleischman's Mr. Mysterious and Company (1962).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)