I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly

Joyce Hansen's Coretta Scott King Honor Book I THOUGHT MY SOUL WOULD RISE AND FLY is now back in print with a gorgeous new package!Patsy, an orphaned slave with a bad leg and a quiet nature, is considered slow by the Davis family. But Patsy's smart -- smart enough to learn to read and write on the sly. After the Civil War ends and slavery is abolished, Patsy believes Master Davis's promise to pay the former house slaves and to educate the slave children. But when the master ignores his promise to establish a school and the Freedmen's Bureau cannot provide a teacher, Patsy steps in to teach the students to read and write.Patsy's diary is filled with courage, conviction, and hope as she strives toward her freedom. Joyce Hansen has been writing books and stories for children and young adults for over twenty years. She grew up with two younger brothers and her parents in an extended family that included aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents, all living in the Bronx, New York. For many years Ms. Hansen was a New York City public school teacher. She has since retired and presently lives with her husband in South Carolina, where she writes full-time.