Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson is a historical fiction as told from three different viewpoints. The novel is set after WWII in Germany and the United States. Each story highlights the racism and poor treatment of black people including children of mixed race.
Ozzie Phillips is a black soldier in Germany. He joined the military to leave the streets and lack of opportunities in Philadelphia. Once stationed in Germany, he finds the military is no different than civilian life. He finds himself seeking out a companion and finds Jelka. (40s)
Ethel Gathers’s husband is stationed in Germany. She is devastated that she is not able to have children. She finds an orphanage filled with mixed-race children that needs help. (50s)
Sophia Clark had an opportunity to escape her life on the farm. With help of her teachers, she applied and was accepted at a boarding school in Maryland. She is one of the few young black people accepted and she has to learn how to navigate in a whole new world. (60s)
The three stories interact in ways that are not necessarily expected. Those connections continue to show what life is like for Black Americans and mixed-race children. I found this book to be very appropriate for the times, reminding us how far we have come, yet how far we still need to move. The discrimination and lack of opportunities are key elements for this book.
I found this book well thought-out and written. I learned information I didn’t know. Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson is a good read.
