AuthorC. E. Edmonson
PublisherPleasant Word-A Division of WinePress Publishing
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Fourteen-year-old Maddie Bergamo has it all-looks, brains, mad moves on the basketball court, a cute crush, and true friends-and so far, her life seems right on track to make her eventual goals of the Olympics and a sports scholarship to her Ivy League dream school. But then life topples her neatly stacked plans, and Maddie finds herself in a fight for survival. As events spiral out of her control, Maddie receives an unexpected gift: an ancestor's extraordinary diary of life as a slave girl. And what Maddie discovers within those pages changes her world forever.
" . . . finding hope in the face of adversity . . . recounted in a convincing dialect and features scenes of real emotional power." --Publishers Weekly
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to the Make-A-Wish® Foundation and to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital®.
Reviews
What I Liked: The author did a great job switching back and forth between two powerfully-moving stories: a current story of a teen battling cancer, and a historical story of a slave girl finding freedom. The mixed genre makes it interesting, educational, and relevant.
This book is all about what's important in life - family, real friendships, making a difference, unlike a lot of shallow teen books I've come across recently. And it discusses with God - what meaningful book wouldn't? - but not in a preachy way, rather a way of making sense of things.
Easy to read but with plenty to think about, I'd definitely recommend this for the tween and teen girls in your life.
What I Didn't Like: Got nothing for you! Well, maybe you might like a nice tidy romantic Josh ending, but we're dealing with a 14-year-old, so that really isn't necessary, and the actual ending is much more fitting as it ties two stories together. And part of the proceeds from the book sales are being donated to Make-A-Wish Foundation and to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - so I really have nothing to complain about... This is getting a 5/5 rating!
Reviewed on 04/07/2010 by ReviewTheBook.com Member Jane Maritz
Maddie Bergamo seems to have the world on a string with a downwards pull, but sometimes life places a rock in the way of the world and you are thrown off course so badly that you wonder if you’ll ever get back on track. And so it is with Maddie.
As the book begins we see a young teen who has everything going for her playing in a basketball game. Suddenly out of nowhere, her leg collapses under her and she cannot make it move no hard she tries. EMT’s are called but before she can be transported, her leg is fine again. Though she is as confused by what happened as everyone else, she wants to get on with her life. Her mother makes an appointment for Maddie to see her doctor despite her claims that she is fine. But she isn’t fine, as we soon discover when Maddie passes out while eating breakfast.
This is where the story really begins to become intense. Dr. Martin insists they take Maddie to the Emergency room to be further evaluated. After a myriad of tests it is discovered that Maddie has a tumor in her brain and the doctors begin to discuss options laid out for them while Maddie struggles with the idea that something is “wrong” with her brain that she cannot fix.
While at home. Maddie is forced to take a good look at herself and who she is. She is a pretty bi-racial kid with plenty of dreams, hopes and talents but she cannot get past the tumor. It fills her mind constantly. That is, until her mother gives her a book written by Maddie’s great, great, great Grandmother, Golden Lea Jackson. Her mother explains it is a memoir of her life as a slave and she thinks this is the perfect time for Maddie to read it. Maybe through this book she can gain some wisdom from her ancestor and come to terms with her tumor as well.
Maddie begins the book somewhat reluctantly although curious as to what her ancestor might have had to say about being a slave born in the 1830’s. Soon she is immersed in the book and it becomes an important part of her life and struggle to survive.
As her condition worsens and she undergoes treatment, Maddie’s mother reads aloud to her of Golden’s life and her struggle to gain freedom from slavery. In the book, Maddie can relate to Golden’s struggle and fear for the future as well. During the worst time in her life, Maddie can hear Golden’s words echo within her mind and she gains an inner strength and a link to her roots that she did not have previously.
How this book ends is amazing in and of itself and to reveal what Maddie and Golden each undergo would not be fair for the reader. For I as a reader discovered as much about myself as I read this book as Maddie and Golden. I discovered that I wanted them to win and their strength of character and mindset gave me the same sort of inner strength to want to succeed in my quest as they did in theirs.
I would highly recommend this book for a number of reasons. One: It shows how our past can influence our present and perhaps our future and two: It shows that determination and strong will can and do prevail when all seems lost.
It is not just a book about a young multi-racial girl with an ancestor who was a slave or even is it about a teen who is suffering from a brain tumor. It is much more than that. It is a story of strength, belief in things unseen, and faith in the future whatever that might be as well as a story of hope and perseverance against insurmountable odds. Read it and see for yourself if you do not gain a bit of strength through the story as I did. It is a winner in many ways and a book not to be missed.
Reviewed on 03/06/2010 by ReviewTheBook.com Member Susan Pettrone
Meet Maddie Bergamo. Fourteen years old. Young, pretty, and smart. Nicknamed “the Flash” for her quick moves on the basketball court, she dreams of eventually competing at the Olympics, until one day she falls flat on her face when her leg suddenly gives out during a game. This is the first symptom in a line of scary ones that leads to a diagnosis, shattering her world so quickly everything changes overnight.
Then her mother gives her the unexpected gift of a memoir written by her great-great-great grandmother, telling the story of her life as a slave girl. As Maddie lives through the most agonizing and life-threatening days of her life, the diary becomes a strengthening aid to her.
Meet Golden Lea Jackson Pitts. Fourteen years old. Young, black, and a slave. Her story is one of hardship but also hope as she embarks on her journey to freedom. The author deftly alternates between the voices of these two brave girls and how their lives are connected by their adversities and their challenge to cope. I must admit I loved Golden’s voice. She was so authentic and real. I could see her so clearly in my mind’s eye and hear her dialect voice through the pages. Her ordeals and losses touched me deeply. Golden had spirit and strength, dealing with her situations with wisdom and maturity. Despite the sufferings, she developed a beautiful rule by which she faithfully lived and passed on as an inheritance to her progeny—hence the title of the novel.
Reading the yellowed handwritten words of this strong female ancestor, Maddie learns to courageously face what lays ahead of her and also some important life lessons. It gives her a whole new perspective on life, and pride in her multi-racial heritage. Her future goals and what she thought were important takes on a whole new meaning.
Some of the issues that Edmonson touches on—racism, family appreciation, independence, parental attitude, and altruistic giving—are ones that all youths can relate to in one form or another. There are serious scenes in this novel that make the reader ponder on the injustices of this world today and in the past. However, it is far from being morose, but filled with hope and optimism instead.
This wholesome novel has the power to evoke strong emotions in readers of all ages. For teens, it will nudge them out of their comfortable zone to reflect on how they can make good use of their lives, even when an illness hits them. Conversely, it can give today’s youth bombarded with the pressures for sex, drugs and violence the motivation to keep going and to stand up for what is right. For adults, it will remind them that it’s never too late to take stock of their lives and keep their priorities straight, especially when it comes to family.
The author wrote this book for his daughters—a loving way to transmit a powerful message. After I pass the book to my book-loving teen friends, I will store it on my bookshelf, saving it for when I could pass it on and share this touching story with my own daughter.
Reviewed on 09/30/2009 by ReviewTheBook.com Member Laura Fabiani
Eighth-grader Maddie Bergamo's sudden collapse during a basketball game leads to a diagnosis of a brain tumor and her world is suddenly turned upside down. Instead of worrying about what college she'll attend or what boy she'll go to a dance with, she must now battle for her life.
Maddie's high-powered lawyer parents are there to support and care for her. Her mother is black and her father is white and Maddie is proud to be biracial. Her mother gives Maddie a book of recollections written by her great-great-great-grandmother, Golden Lea Jackson, a former slave.
Author Edmonson weaves a touching tale of two young women, Maddie and Golden Lea. One battles a tumor while the other battles for her freedom. Both display tremendous courage and spunk during their ordeals. And both are mightily changed by them.
I found myself, like Maddie, impatient to read what would happen next for Golden Lea. I learned more about slavery and its roots in America. I highly recommend this heartwarming book to teens and adults alike.
Reviewed on 09/03/2009 by ReviewTheBook.com Member Darcy Odden
In “Golden’s Rule”, we are introduced t 14 year-old Madison Bergamo. Maddie has it all an amazing family, great friends, good grades, and amazing talent on the basketball court. Known as “The Montclair Flash”, Maddie has her life planned all around becoming a professional basketball player, her goals are to attend an Ivy League school on a basketball scholarship, make it to the Olympics, and then play in the WMBA. Everything seems to be going down the right track, until one day her world, as she knows it comes crashing down around her. Unable to make her leg move during a basketball game, she is diagnosed with having a brain tumor. No longer is free to worry about the typical teenage dramas, Maddie soon finds her days are filled with doctor visits, hospital stays, and surgeries. Feeling like she was watching her life slip away from her grip, Maddie’s mother give to the recollections of her great-great-great grandmother, Golden Lea Jackson, who was born into slavery. As Golden Lea writes down the many trials and hardships she faced during the years she was captive, the two although they have never met form a bond. Together the race to save themselves from the bleak existence the see before them, one races for the shores of freedom while the other races to stay alive. Through her recollections Golden Lea helps Maddie draw courage and bravery from with in and helps her to depend upon the Lord.
“Golden’s Rule”, is a heart-warming tale of trials, hardships, and the will to overcome them all. As each of them share their story, C.E. Edmonson takes the reader along with them on their journey for freedom. Brilliantly Edmonson has blended the lives of two strangers that have become bound to each other through their courage. “Golden’s Rule”, is defiantly a book that you should read no matter of your age.
Reviewed on 09/02/2009 by ReviewTheBook.com Member Angela Simmons
