This was such a wonderful young adult historical fiction novel. It was written so tenderly and beautifully, telling a story of love between not only 2 teens, Angel and Isaiah, but also between Greenwood and its citizens. Prior to reading Angel of Greenwood, I had never heard of or learned about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Seeing the tragic events of that day unfold through the eyes of Angel and Isaiah made it all the more powerful. Even though I knew what would eventually transpire, I could not turn the pages fast enough for the last quarter of the book. I experienced so many emotions while reading this novel. The events left me crying and heartbroken, but ultimately Angel of Greenwood was uplifting and hopeful. Don't let the YA genre designation fool you. This is truly a book not to be missed.

CW: Racism, Assault, Bullying, Death of loved one/family, Burning/destruction

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

I don't remember learning about the Tulsa Race Massacre in school; rather, I learned of it from watching the TV series Watchmen on HBO. In this stunning novel, author Randi Pink takes us to Greenwood - the site of the Massacre - and gives us a fictional account of what happened in 1921.

Angel of Greenwood centers on the story of two teenagers, Angel and Isaiah. Isaiah is a disciple of W.E.B. Du Bois, believing the words of Du Bois can help advance the Black Man in the wake of World War One. Angel Hill prefers the words of Booker T. Washington. Isaiah is the best friend of the town troublemaker, Muggy Little, Jr., and as such, has a not so great reputation. Angel lives up to her name in Greenwood, being a helper to all around her and a genuine nice girl.

At Sunday school one morning, Isaiah really notices Angel for the first time when she dances in praise, and he can't stop thinking about her. It isn't until their literature teacher asks the two to join forces to bring literacy to the masses in the form of a bicycle and wagon to tote books in that the two get to know each other without the distractions of the rest of Greenwood society.

The book leads us to the tragedy - the Massacre that began with a white woman's scream on May 30 and ends with Greenwood literally burnt to the ground. Pink's fictional account is heartrending. This book is not an easy read. It's not entertaining to read about an entire town of people losing their homes, their belongings, and for some, their lives, just because they were not white. And in today's culture, it's an especially hard but necessary read. While I can't say I enjoyed the book, I'm glad I read it. It's an important book.

Oh, man. My heart and this book. This is a YA historical fiction novel told from 2 POVs, Angel and Isaiah, in the days leading up to, during, and after the attack on the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1921 — a real-life event. While this story is fiction, what happened to Greenwood is not.

We follow Angel and Isaiah through their everyday life in affluent Greenwood as they attend school, keep up with home life responsibilities, deal with family struggles, strive to make their community better, read, write, get to know each other, and eventually fall in love. I absolutely adored their love story. ❤

Randi shares at the end of the book that this story started out as a fictional place she refers to as her Wakanda — “no superheroes or fields of magical flowers to swallow, no. Just a simple self-sustaining Black town where two Black teens got to freely fall in love. That’s the magical place I was trying to write.” And then she discovered the story of Greenwood.

I would 100% encourage everyone to check this book out and further look into the events of that horrifying day. This book and what happened on May 31-June 1, 1921, deserves your time. I confess that I did not have knowledge of what happened in Greenwood until this novel was on my radar. And after reading the author's notes & additional details at the back of the book and doing my own research, that seems to largely be the case in general — it’s one of the least known about and yet also considered one of the worst race massacres in US history.

"I acknowledge now that all I want from this life is a safe place for my Black children to get to fall in love." — Randi Pink, Author's Note

Steamometer
❤ - heartwarming and absolutely, beautifully pure

Randi Pink's Angel of Greenwood was my first full book of 2021, and what a great way to start the year! I was thrilled to see this book, and as soon as I saw that it was historical fiction and covered the Greenwood Massacre that took place in Tulsa, OK, in 1921, I knew I wanted to read it. That event is something I personally knew very little about until well into my adult life, and I was excited to see this important and tragic US event being addressed in a young adult book. I'm so thankful to #partner NetGalley for access to the e-galley of this one in exchanged for an honest review! The book comes out on January 12th.

Right away, I loved the main characters, Angel and Isaiah. In many ways, this is a classic story of coming of age and of young love. The story is much more focused on Angel's and Isaiah's lives as teens in the booming Black metropolis of Greenwood than it is on the massacre itself, which doesn't come about until the end of the book—but there is an omnipresent sense of dread for the reader as the chapters count down to the event itself and as the community members sense a storm coming.

Angel, born to help others, is loved and admired in her community. She is always ready to lighten the burden of everyone around her, and she has a strong sense of purpose. Isaiah, on the other hand, lost his father in WWI and has spent much of his life following in the shadow of the town bully, Muggy Little, Jr. Although he has a side that people don't see, one that loves reading books and writing poetry, the perception of him is not a favorable one. However, when Angel's and Isaiah's paths collide, Isaiah finally finds the courage and desire to show his inner self to the world, and he gradually finds his way toward becoming a better person.

Another aspect of the novel I absolutely loved was the exploration of Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois, both as paragons and as people. Through conversations between Isaiah (a follower of Du Bois), Angel (a Washington follower), and their amazing teacher Ms. Ferris, they discuss the ideals of both thinkers and their impact on the time. Pink resists the temptation to simplify the views of either man, and through the characters' adamant adoration of each one respectively, she explores the problems of blind loyalty and the important consideration of nuance.

As the burning of Greenwood happens, Isaiah finds himself thinking of Du Bois in a moment of despair. In response to the cries of his neighbors, "Not here. Not here. Not here," he considers his own perspective:

"Of course here. If not Greenwood, where? It's textbook. Stamp out the most prosperous among us, and the rest lose hope. Eliminate the talented tenth, and there you had it, eternal servitude. Did these people not read Du Bois?"

As the events of the massacre unfurl, Isaiah and Angel each find the strength to be pillars in their community. Despite the horrifying events that occur, the love that community members have for each other helps them find a way forward after the atrocity. Although Pink addresses the massacre directly without dismissing its impact or minimizing its horror, she leaves readers with hope for the future of the Black people in the community as they rebuild their lives.

At the end of the novel, Randi Pink includes a section about the facts of the attack (as well as her acknowledgements, which are well worth reading!). She states that after a white woman (Sarah Page) screamed in an elevator while with a Black teenager (Dick Rowland), tensions between the white and Black communities mounted over several days, resulting in the burning of Greenwood:

"In the early morning hours of June 1, 1921, idyllic, prosperous, exceptional Greenwood was looted and burned by white rioters. In the wake of twenty-four hours, thirty-five city blocks were charred, over eight hundred people were treated for injuries, and historians have estimated around three hundred lives were lost."

She goes on to explain that this event went largely unknown and unrecorded until 2001, when a commission in Tulsa reviewed the details of the event, finally and gradually shedding some light on the atrocity that occurred.

It might be too early to say this, but I think Angel of Greenwood will be one of my favorite books of 2021.

The YA novel follows two Angel and Isaiah, two young Black people living in the Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma in the days leading up to the Tulsa Race Riot and massacre. The two come together for a summer job running a mobile library, delivering books to poorer black areas. Despite early contention and philosophical differences (Angel is a follower of the more conservative Booker T. Washington; Isaiah prefers the teachings of the more revolutionary WEB De Bois) the two fall in love as the world around them begins to catch fire.

Pink's prose is a beautiful amalgamation of poetry and philosophy, and it's hard not to be stirred by her words. Her characters breathe from within the pages, and the Greenwood she rebuilds is as vibrant and tangible as the community around me (perhaps more so--I've been quarantining since March). I read Angel of Greenwood in one sitting, even as my back grew sore and my legs cramped, and upon finishing I immediately ordered a copy for my shelves. I then sat for hours, thinking of how Angel and Isaiah's stories answer the question posed by Angel's father in the opening, and show how mercy and truth have and must intertwine.

The story of Greenwood has been presenting itself to me a lot lately - in the last month I've read two picture books and this novel, along with watching the first episodes of HBO's Watchmen - and it's a piece of American history that I think more of us should be aware of. What white people did to the thriving Black community of Greenwood was horrific. I am grateful to these works of art for introducing me to the history and for doing it in such a beautiful way that it compounds my own horror at what was done.

Even knowing what is coming, Randi Pink keeps the first 3/4 of this novel so firmly focused on the story of Angel and Isaiah that, as a reader, I forgot about that horror to come. Admittedly, Angel is, for me, almost too good to be believed. Still, I was rooting for them by the end, and I think that focusing in on the people in the community rather than the horror of what came was the most important choice made for the novel.

I recommend this for those looking for sweet, simple love stories with substance in the surrounding narrative.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“My fight is nearly done, Angel, my love. Yours is beginning, and for that, I am sorry. I wish for you mercy. I pray for you truth.”

You knew by the cover, by the title and even more when you possibly read this book’s description that this book is going to be good. And guess what? It was one of the most heartfelt, inspiring, and heartbreaking book I’ve read.

My first 5-star read this year, this book is mainly a dual-POV between the two main characters, Angel and Isaiah. Greenwood is a town where everyone knew everybody in this close-knitted thriving community. Angel, known as the loner and “goody-goody” sixteen year-old teen of Greenwood, and Isaiah, the seventeen year old teen known as one of the town’s troublemaker but a poet and a reader at heart.
Angel and Isaiah mainly minded each other’s business unless Muggy, Isaiah’s closest friend, wanted to tease Angel, and Isaiah would follow along ever since they were children. But the moment Isaiah watched Angel danced gracefully at Sunday School, everything fell different.
Family, Romance, and Kinship are a few of the themes we see in this book. Four teens, oblivious of who the true antagonists in their lives are, realizes on May 31, 1921. I hope you’ll enjoy and tear up as you read this book as much as I have. And I know some people don’t read the acknowledgments/author’s note sometimes, but do yourself a favor and read it this time.

Thank you Macmillan’s Children Publishing Group, Feiwel and Friends, and Netgalley for providing me an eARC of Angel of Greenwood in exchange for an honest review.

Heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time, Angel of Greenwood was a special read. I loved that the characters had so many parts of themselves that they were figuring out-like all of us, they are complicated. And while it is set in 1921, I felt like the issues that they face haven’t changed much at all. This historical fiction book shares about the 1921 Attack on the Greenwood District of Tulsa, OK which was completely unknown to me. Thank you Randi Pink for sharing this story. This important book arrives on Jan. 12, 2021. Thank you to @netgalley and @mackids for sharing a digital arc.

Angel of Greenwood tells the largely unknown story of the 1921 burning of Black Wall Street (Greenwood in Tulsa, OK). While the novel starts slow, it builds momentum about halfway through, before bringing the ruin of Greenwood.

This is an important novel for 2021 - not just because it tells a 100-year-old story too many don’t know, but because we just witnessed another angry mob of white men and women destroying property, the US Capitol.

I will be referring my patrons to this novel, ready to discuss with them the history and our present.

How to write a beautiful and poetic story in the midst of a horrific historic massacre? Randi Pink knows how, and she did a splendid job with the writing of Angel in Greenwood. A perfect story of 20th-century Greenwood and its very loveable characters, Angel and Isaiah have nothing in common, or so it seems. But one of their teachers immediately understands, by reading one of Isaiah's poems, that Isaiah is secretly falling for Angel. So, she offers them a summer job with an attractive pay. Isaiah of course immediately accepts the job so he can approach Angel. Angel only accepts for the wage; she is actually reticent at the idea of spending any time with this boy since he has been making fun of her all these years. Well, Isaiah is not really a bad guy but he lives in the shadow of his best buddy Muddy. Both have a complex relationship but I will not spoil it for you.

No slow burn which I was very thankful for: the teens quickly fall in love and their love for literature and African American figures such as Du Bois and Washington rubs off each other. They each have something to offer the other, they each have something to learn from the other, and the beauty of the story is that there is no holding back. Until this infamous day of May 31, 1921...

This book was a real tear jerker. I was shedding tears throughout. This book has depth, contains lots of history, and brings humanity to the struggle and hardship the African Americans population went through for centuries, and still does today. What I take away from this book is this: love your neighbors, forgive the ignorant and rise above them, be yourself, love and hope prevails, love and appreciate your mother, respect the elders, you only get respect if you respect others in the first place.

I can go on and on about this book. This is definitely a book worth reading: Isaiah, Angel, their families, all members of their community has something to teach you, even Muddy.. this evil, naughty and conceited little jackass with the most honorable redeeming scene I have ever read.. again, will not spoil it for you.

This book will stay with me for a very long time and it will be one of my soon-to-be 12 years old daughter's first YA historical fiction read.

Last but not least, I want to point out that the cover is a piece of art and represent the book to a T.

Thank you so much Net Galley and Feiwel and Friends for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was lamentably uninformed about the Tulsa Massacre of 1921 prior to picking up this book, but it piqued my interest due to its relevance to today’s continued fight against racial injustice, and gained even more significance in the wake of the recent riot in Washington DC.

The book does a great job of conveying the event in context without sugarcoating anything. There’s a stark darkness in the lead up to and during the attack itself that is poignant and definitely sticks out in my mind as we continue to grapple with these issues and the fallout from racial violence that goes uncondemned a hundred years later. Randi Pink does not flinch from depicting the event for what it is, an act of domestic terrorism, and holding both the white men and women involved accountable.

However, there is also a ray of hope and light. The central narrative follows teenagers Angel and Isaiah, who initially seem somewhat unlikely friends, but end up bonding and falling for one another after their teacher offers them both work. There was something so sweet in their interactions with each other, finding out about the things they do have in common. It was incredibly heartwarming to read about them bonding, while also having a countdown to the riot coming with the passage of pages and in-story time, creating the perfect tonal balance that ultimately left me shattered in the best way.

This was an incredibly enlightening read, and one I hope many will pick up to educate themselves about the Tulsa Massacre and the deeper issue of racial violence in relevance to our political climate today. While it is marketed to teens first and foremost, this is one I think will absolutely resonate with adults as well.

Pink's story is based on a factual event: the Tulsa Race Massacre, something I knew very little about prior to this book. The author's story is full of vivid detailing, and she pulls the reader into the lives of the people of Greenwood, allowing the reader to truly feel a part of the unfolding events.

It was a telling story to read at this time, with all that has been going on across the country in 2020-2021. This is a historical read, but it's a timely reminder of how quickly things can take a dark turn. There is a romance angle to the story which reminds the reader that light can still be found in the darkness. Overall, this is an emotional historical read.

Randi Pink's fictional account based on historical facts of the Tulsa Race Massacre is heart-wrenching and extraordinary. She paints a beautiful picture of Greenwood and what African-Americans were able to build despite their circumstances as second-class citizens in the United States. With characters such as Israel and Angel, Pink engages us in the lives of the people of Greenwood. We see the culmination of events that led to the Tulsa Race Massacre through the eyes of this community. Pink is a master at historical fiction.

I'm a fan of historical fiction and had never heard of the burning of Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma so was eager to read. More than learning about the tragedy I found the black people were divided by Booker T. Washington's philosophy and W.E Bois.. This division caused deep discussion between Angel and Isaiah that through it all they fell in love. They lived in what they thought was a safe town that was a total community of business and homes of black people. The book takes you through the terror of the night that Greenwood was burned but it much more that just a tragedy as we see Angel and Isaiah change their ways of thinking and others, too.

I have been curious about this covered up part of history. This book takes us into the town and people of the Greenwood neighborhood. Told through the eyes of two teenagers, it opens up the people side of what is was like to experience this horrible event. The loss of families and neighbors. The decision to stay behind to give others a chance to live. I enjoyed the poetry. I didn't realize that aircraft was used. 100 years later, we are learning. Thank you, Netgalley.

Angel of Greenwood delves right into the murky waters of a little known, tragic event that is just as relatable a century after the fact. This novel of historical fiction uses the real life tragedy of the Greenwood massacre to focus the story of two teens who must not only find their way through the troubling racial tensions in their town, but also come to terms with their own beliefs, acceptance of their differences and finally accept the connection they develop. Against the backdrop of history, one that is not as well known or acknowledged as it deserves to be, comes a novel that honors the history and also shows how even in the midst of social dysfunction and turmoil there can be positive moments to be found, a glimmer of hope that resonates in the oncoming and inevitable sea of change.

In the days leading up to the Tulsa Massacre, Angel Hill and Isaiah Wilson have been tasked with delivering books to the underserved areas of their community. What started as contempt between the two teenagers quickly blossoms into something else as they discover more about each other. When a white mob attacks their city, their dreams of an idyllic summer romance are destroyed.

I want more characters like Isaiah Wilson in YA books. He’s soft, caring, intelligent and passionate. That doesn’t mean that he’s without fault though. His flaws are front and center in this story and he has to do a lot to reckon with the mistakes he’s made in the past.

Randi Pink does such a great job of making the reader feel like they are a member of the Greenwood community. Her descriptions transported me to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1921.

I believe that everyone should read as much as they can about what happened in Greenwood, because it is an important part of US history that has been ignored for far too long.

Thanks to netgalley and Feiwel and Friends for this ARC.

The Angel of Greenwood portrays the budding romance of Angel and Isaiah leading up to the Greenwood Massacre of 1921 in Tulsa, OK. As the author states in her acknowledgments—Angel and Isaiah are purely fiction but the looting and burning of the town Greenwood by white supremacists was very much real.

I thought this was beautifully written.

The author has brought Angel and Isaiah to life. I felt like these characters were so real like I was watching them live their lives right before my eyes and fall in love. This novel is also heartbreaking for the same reason. Two teens about to graduate high school and who have the whole world ahead of them—except not because they are going to face prejudice and discrimination their whole lives because of the color of their skin.

I’m marveling at how the author is able to blend together a young adult romance with historical events. I appreciate that the author included the events of Greenwood in her story to bring awareness of the event and similar ones that happened in successful Black towns across the United States. It serves as a reminder for us to be critical of the “histories” we are taught in school.

Goody-two-shoes Angel and bad boy Isaiah think they have little in common beyond living in the same affluent Black community in 1921 Tulsa. When they both accept a job running their English teacher’s mobile library on a two-seater bicycle, they’re surprised to find they enjoy each other's company. But on May 31, 1921, their lives--and perspectives--change forever.

This historical fiction set around the massacre on Black Wall Street holds so much grief, pain, and fear, but also tenderness, love, and joy. This one for sure would have been five stars for me were it not for some historical inaccuracies that took me out of the story, and the somewhat stilted dialogue. But Angel and Isaiah are such compelling protagonists, and Randi Pink's writing really shines a light on the devastating human toll of the attack on Black Wall Street.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.

Both absolutely heartbreaking and hopeful, ANGEL OF GREENWOOD at its heart, is about two black teenagers living in a space and community where they can fall in love. And yet, the obvious racial inequalities in this country even now make that more complicated and often times even dangerous.

Randi Pink has told a beautiful story about a fierce and selfless young woman named Angel, and a passionate and studious boy named Isaiah where their shared love of books allows them to truly see each other and to fall in love. But life isn’t fair and so they are quickly thrown into a nightmare of white aggression and grow up faster than they should as the rush to save their community. This story is made all the more poignant due to Greenwood being a real place, and this story being based on real events. Angel and Isaiah are fiction, but the death and destruction of Black Wall Street in Tulsa by the hands of an angry white mob is horrifyingly real. And what’s worse, isn’t something taught in schools. It’s a story every American needs to know.

I fell in love with Angel along with Isaiah, I sobbed my way through that fateful night, and I am grateful that this story was told. ANGEL OF GREENWOOD may be a work of fiction, but it’s a great starting point to talk about Black Wall Street with teens.

And can we talk about how gorgeous the cover art is?!