Based on a true story, two women, an abolitionist and a daughter of a freed slave, work together on an undercover project for the Union cause during the Civil War. Grade 5-8-Elizabeth (Bet) Van Lew, an aristocratic Richmond lady, and Mary Elizabeth (Liza) Bowser, the daughter of Bet's freed slaves, are bound into a tempestuous yet loving relationship that is severely tested by the Civil War and by their own fiercely independent personalities. Miss Bet has grand plans for the girl; she wants her to go to school in Philadelphia and become a teacher because she will "not have my girl waiting on spoiled white women." Liza resents Miss Bet's efforts to dictate her future and is determined to live her life as she chooses. The clash of these two strong-willed women and their fierce devotion to one another and to the abolitionists' cause and the preservation of the Union are at the heart of this fascinating espionage story. It is based on the real-life activities of these two remarkable women, who used the code name Ellen Bee to pass information behind enemy lines. The narration, told through diary entries and letters and filled with authentic period illustrations and lively historical detail, is told in the contrapuntal voices of the two narrators. The scrapbook functions brilliantly on two levels-as historical document of the courageous work of the two Union spies and as a testament to the personal relationship between an older white woman and a younger black woman who is journeying from childhood into adult independence. Patricia B. McGee, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. Gr. 5-8. In this fictional work set in Richmond, Virginia, between 1856 and 1865, a strong-willed lady (Elizabeth Van Lew or Miss Bet) emancipates a well-loved slave, 10-year-old Liza, and sends her to Philadelphia to be educated. Just as obstinate as Miss Bet, Liza resents being sent away, but she applies herself to her lessons. Miss Bet becomes more involved in abolitionist activities and, when the war begins, she devotes herself to the welfare of northern prisoners. By this time, Liza has married and returned to Richmond, but still chafes at Miss Bet's attempts to steer her life. But when Miss Bet offers Liza a position in Jefferson Davis' household, they become partners in a spying enterprise that places them both in danger. Based on diaries, scrapbooks, and a memoir, this seems more intriguing as history than it is believable as fiction, but readers will be swept along in a story that gathers momentum as the Civil War progresses. The format is described as a "scrapbook," evidently a popular format in the 1800s. Diary entries and letters from both characters are illustrated with black-and-white reproductions of period documents, newspaper clippings, drawings, engravings, etc. An original presentation of intriguing historical material. Carolyn Phelan Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Mary E. Lyons is the author of many books for children and young adults, including Roy Makes a Car, Feed the Children First, Dear Ellen Bee, Letters from a Slave Girl , and Sorrow's Kitchen . In addition to the Golden Kite Award and a Horn Book Fanfare for Letters from a Slave Girl , Lyons was also the recipient of a 2005 Aesop Award for Roy Makes a Car and a Carter G. Woodson Award for Sorrow's Kitchen . A teacher and former librarian, she lives in Charlottesville, Virginia. You can learn more about her at www.lyonsdenbooks.com. Used Book in Good Condition