"Sarah's Wish invites you to enter the 19th century world of secrets and broken promises, runaways and slave catchers, colorful gypsies and noisy riverboats, and Granny. Although Granny's hilarious dialect and lively antics are sure to keep you laughing, not all is happy. Emotions take a ride as Sarah's big wish appears hopeless. But when life is at it's darkest, the butterflies come!"
“Sarah’s Wish” is the creation of Jim Baumgardner, an entertaining storyteller and easy-going person (as evidenced in his monthly newsletters). This is the first in the growing series of books. The other two completed stories are called “Sarah’s Promise” and “Sarah’s Escape”. Sarah’s Wish shines a light on a period of time that is usually glossed over — the period just before the Civil War — and demonstrates how abolitionists worked to help runaway slaves get to freedom as well as the risks they took to maintain their integrity to their personal beliefs. The bounty hunters were a force to be reckoned with and we get a chance to see just how cruel a person can become when greed becomes their sole motivator.
When I received the book I was in the middle of a “crisis” since my son was very ill with a stomach flu so I only gave it a cursory glance. Since I was too swamped with Michael, I asked my nine-year old if she’d like to read the book first. She opted out because she’s in the middle of “Cheaper by the Dozen” and (I believe) glanced at the typeface and decided it was going to be one of those boring books.
Actually when I first looked at the type I kinda groaned because I thought that it would be a difficult read, but boy was I wrong. During one of my all night sick bed sessions with Michael I opened up the book and didn’t put it down until I finished it. After reading the opening which explained how Sarah became an orphan I was hooked and her mother’s last words. It wasn’t the tragedy that hooked me. It was the way that Sarah’s heart and spirit shone through Jim’s words. I felt that she was a real person, and one that was worth getting to know better. And she’s definitely someone that my children will know very well indeed since I’m purchasing the next two books in the series!
Isn’t the cover art for the book beautiful? But don’t be fooled — this book contains secrets like you wouldn’t believe. Each book in the series has an e|Live component to it. What’s e|Live? It’s a way to make books interactive for people. When you purchase the book, you not only get a physical book, but the audiobook as well.
And I’m eternally grateful for this because my family listens to a lot of audiobooks while driving and this is a guaranteed way for my youngest daughter to appreciate the entire story. She’s a beginning reader and although the book is only 128 pages, by the end of the day my good intentions to read to her each night sometimes falls apart. With the audio download that I can burn to CD she’s guaranteed the opportunity to learn how special Sarah is.
I highly recommend the Sarah Series for the whole family. The values it teaches are simply stated, clearly demonstrated and well worth implementing in our every day lives.
P.S. Jade finally got around to reading the book after my initial review and guess who wants me to pick up the next installment … I guess Mommy does know best. 
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