Time Pieces

Starred review from March 14, 2005
Pitts gives a sparkling performance of Hamilton's last novel, which was completed before her death in 2002. As precocious and likable 11-year-old Valena, Pitts is particularly sharp, a fact that will surely draw listeners into this tale that weaves together elements of Hamilton's authentic family history with a coming-of-age story. In the course of one eventful summer that includes a tornado, outings with relatives and a trip to an unusual traveling circus, Valena also hears tales about her heritage from her mother, Harriet. It's Harriet's recollections (referred to here as "reckons") that fill in some of the details of how Valena's grandfather escaped slavery with his mother and traveled the Underground Railroad from Virginia to freedom in Ohio (where Valena and her kin now live). Fans of Hamilton's body of work will recognize familiar themes and elements of her other books. Pitts plays both humorous and poignant tones with equal skill, making this an all-around entertaining listen. Ages 10-14.

June 1, 2005
Gr 4-6 -Virginia Hamilton's semiautobiographical novel (Blue Sky Press, 2002) quietly shows how the stories of the past and present complete the picture of a family. Living in rural Ohio, just as Hamilton did, 11-year-old Valena deals with racism, surviving a tornado, and the loss of a pet but also experiences the joys of her first circus and seeing the aurora borealis. As we learn about Valena's summer adventures and experiences, her mother weaves in her family's history of slavery and other stories. Tales of Great-Grandpa Luke and the Underground Railroad intertwine with the legend of a pygmy brought from Africa on a slave ship to create the real strength of the book. Actress Lisa Renee Pitts uses her buttery smooth voice to bring all of Hamilton's characters to life. Listeners are transported back in time with musical interludes that pace the story and are historically pertinent." -April Mazza, Wayland Public Library, MA"

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 4, 2002
This uneven work from the late Hamilton juxtaposes a contemporary framework story about young Valena, during the summer before she enters sixth grade, with a number of interconnected " 'reckons,'... stories told of past times" that fill in some of the history of how her family came to Ohio. Valena's mother, Harriet, relates these tales of times past, which at their best recall the mythic and inspirational qualities of the author's The People Could Fly—especially the story of tiny Tunny Maud, who is brought to Rothford Plantation (one "Occupant," as Harriet calls the captives held on the plantation, believes that Tunny Maud is a Pygmy from Batswa). Tunny Maud dances "to the leaf shadows in the forest" and "could move on her hands as well as her feet." Later, the tiny woman figures prominently in a reckon about Harriet's father, Graw Luke, who crosses the Ohio River with his mother and makes a pilgrimage to Maud Free, a town established by Tunny Maud (who, with the help of her master's son, escaped to freedom). But the contemporary story used to set up these few tales comes across as sketchy, especially in contrast with the reckons, which are polished like prized gems that are passed down from one generation to the next. Ages 10-14.