Elliott, Z. (2008). A wish after midnight. Las Vegas, NV: Amazon Publishing. ISBN 978-0-98255-505-7; paperback; $8.49.
Growing up in Brooklyn, 15-year-old Genna dreams of getting her family out of their two-bedroom apartment so that her baby brother Tyjuan can grow up in a neighborhood where drug deals don’t happen outside their front door every day. When Genna makes a desperate wish, her dreams of escape are realized, and in a fantastical turn of events, she finds herself in 1863 Brooklyn. Genna quickly has to learn how to survive as a black girl in the Civil War north; she spins a story of running away from slavery and lands herself a job as a nanny for a wealthy white abolitionist doctor and his wife. But when Genna’s modern-day boyfriend Judah shows up in 1863 wanting to claim their birthright by returning to the African homeland, Genna has to confront her identity as an African-American and decide where her own dreams are leading her.
A Wish After Midnight is more than a coming-of-age story – it’s a coming-of-ages story. Elliott’s introspective narrative describes the centuries-old struggle of being a person of African heritage in America. Genna’s story educates readers about Civil War history, but it also accomplishes something even more important – it helps African-American teens navigate the tension between black and white cultures in America and ultimately encourages them to pursue their dreams. This book would add a much-needed perspective to any teen historical fiction collection.
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