Review: Get ready for quite a ride!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 22, 2014
This is a new genre for me to read, I am happy that I came across this book. You follow Lizzie, her Gran and "the Gals" in a journey into history. Finding out your family history is less than stellar can be a shock. In her grandfather's diary Lizzie learns of her Great Aunt Eliza and a relationship she had with a boy who was not white. The past is not pretty but it is what you make of it that is the true test of what kind of person you are.From the beginning chapters Stephanie Pitcher Fishman gives wonderful details about the South! If you have never seen the red clay dirt in the south, you will FEEL like you have reading her descriptions. I lived in the south when I was younger, it's been more than 20 years since I have been back, but with words alone, this author took me right back.The subjects can be harsh, but Stephanie handles everything so well and makes you really care about these characters.There were tears shed and laughter as well while I was reading. Lizzie and the Gals reminded me of so many people that I knew, and I think that was one reason that this story felt so real. The care shown in research cannot be understated by me either. I am a history buff and when an author adds real life history to a book, I love that what was included in Finding Eliza was true, and although harsh, it is part of history that shouldn't be forgotten.For a new author in this wild world of independent writers, Stephanie has one heck of a future in writing!  I will be first in line for more books from Stephanie.