Words by Heart

by Ouida Sebestyen

Book Overview

Lena can recite the Scriptures by heart. Hoping to make her adored Papa proud of her and to make her white classmates notice her "Magic Mind," not her black skin, Lena vows to win the Bible-quoting contest. But winning does not bring Lena what she expected. Instead of honor, violence and death erupt and strike the one she loves most dearly. Lena, who has believed in vengeance, must now learn how to forgive.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0440226880
• ISBN13: 9780440226888
• Release Date: April 1996
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf Library
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 4.2" x 7.0"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Excellent Read for Tweeners

My daughter enjoyed reading this book along with me. Good fiction related to black history and christianity.

good book

This year, my eighth grade English class read To Kill a Mockingbird, a novel by Harper Lee. While we read this book, we were assigned to read another book about black struggle as well. I read the novel, Words by Heart, by Ouida Sebestyen. It was a compelling, well-written book about a young, black girl who discovers her place in a white neighborhood in a time of racism. Ouida Sebestyen is a black author whose past was very much like the life of the character of the little black girl. The author of To Kill a Mockingbird on the other hand, is a white woman whose past relates very closely to the character of little white girl. In Words by Heart, the white people were mostly undeveloped and without much character. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the blacks are the undeveloped characters. Both of these books contain very similar ideas about life as a child when racism was very strong. These two books both have similar plots but are seen from two opposite different points of view. When I read Words by Heart, I realized how difficult it would be to go through such a hard time in life without knowing why things were the way they were or what was happening in the world. I was moved by the challenging events the black family had to go through, because I know that racism is one of the hardest things to face in life. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about black struggle in the history of America.

Words By Heart

Could you imagine, in a specific period in time certain people of a different race were not just judged by the contents of their character but by the color of their skin? Now imagine that in the year 2000, you were treated and looked at in that type of way, as just a color. Well, that was just how Lena had grown up living as a child. Lena's family had moved from different places but never actually settled anywhere. The main reason why her and her family were moving so much was the color problem. They weren't being excepted. Then finally they find a place. At first they were doing well until one family thought that Lena's family was being a threat to them. Only because Lena had did so well in the Bible-quoting contest. She had made her father very proud of her and some of the people in the town mad. Lena could recite bible scriptures by heart and is good at it. Her father and she had worked for this lady named Mrs. Chism, who was the rudest person to her family. Although Mrs. Chism had let Lena borrow her books from her book collection, she still was mean. Lena's father was a hard worker he had done everything for everyone when they told him to and still was sad inside but did not let others know. Lena and her family were threatened one night by someone who wanted them to leave. That same person ends up getting hurt and is surprised for Lena to come to his rescue. Lena is shocked when someone she loves dearly dies for saving someone that tries to kill him over jealousy. Her life begins to try to stop but because of that one person in her life, she gains strength and starts over but still has that person in her heart and will always.

A Book Full of Insights on Life

"Words by Heart" is probably the best piece of young adult literature I have read. Not only is it well written with in-depth character development, but it deals with relationships and situations that all can relate to in some way. It provides insights into our (The United States) history while providing us an opportunity to contemplate biases of our day. It also gives us beautiful examples of people who are strong and yet loving and forgiving.

Integrity in the Face of Trial

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I was assigned to read it in an adolescent literature class in college and was very unenthused in the first few pages. By the end of the novel, however, I was absorbed in the amazingly well-crafted plot and deeply explored characters. I don't know if young adults can appreciate the complexity of the novel, but I was impressed by Ms. Sebestyen's daring insight into our own response to trial. In the face of all kinds of injustices, we can still be true to our own integrity and rise above.