I really enjoyed this novelized glimpse into the childhood of Zora Neale Hurston and the town of Eatonville where she lived until her father's remarriage. Zora and her father, the pastor of the local church knock heads over most things. She's way too curious and opinionated for him and he favors her older sister. The death of a local resident, his robbed grave, and a prior statement that he believed he was a zombie start Zora obsessing about it and whether a zombie ritual or photography could save her mother even in her rapidly declining state. Joe Clarke, store owner, one of the founders of Eatonville and eighteen years its mayor wound up beaten in a mayoral election by Reverend Hurston, whose arrogance is on full display along with his new car. His actions after the death of his wife split his family up, some going to live with their grandmother in Alabama while Zora went off to boarding school funded by an Eatonville resident.

This was a wonderful finale to the trilogy and you are truly transported to this town and live a little bit of history as two girls face a lot of hardships. Death, Gate crimes, racial slurs are just some of the things Zora and her friend face as well as a mini mystery to solve as the reader is transported to the past.

I would have given this book four stars but it lacks the sort of author note which I feel all historical fiction ought to be privy, a clarification for readers identifying which bits are historical and which bits are fiction. Overall, I enjoyed the story and I found it less laboured than the first book (a book I did not finish). It was a quick and easy read and probably a good resource for helping children understand the day-to-day lives of black folk at the turn of the 20th century (but it could have been great if it had the sort of author note it should have).

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for review so thank you to Candlewick Press. ( )

Zora & Me: The Summoner is a story of three friends: Zora, Carrie, and Teddy and the events of their preteen and teenage. Carrie retells the story as a grandmother to her young granddaughter. The plot contains some intense scenes that make the pages fly, but there are gaps where I felt like I could easily put the book down. The characterization is the strongest element of the book. Zora comes out on top as a flushed character with a strong will. You root for her and feel for the plights she faces. Some details in the story work well especially in the action-packed and confrontational scenes, but at other times, I struggled to picture in my mind what the author was trying to convey. This was true of the details surrounding the photography equipment that play a key role to the story.

As a mystery/zombie story, I can see students being drawn to the book. They'll get to meet a historical figure and the spunk that made her such a force of nature. As a book for upper grades, it does not hold back on the intensity which some books for younger students do.

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for review. Thank you to Candlewick Press. ( )

A lynching sets in motion a suspenseful plot involving an imagined adventure for Zora Neale Hurtston as a girl.
Gripping historical fiction — appropriately represented for its age group without being coy about the violence that surrounds the characters. A book that deserves discussion and deep reading.