A Day to Pick Your Own Cotton

Shenandoah Sisters #2

by Michael R. Phillips

Mayme and Katie, from entirely different worlds, have been thrown together in the chaotic aftermath of the Civil War. Just teenagers, they are left to survive only by their own wits and shared experiences. Gradually, they are learning to appreciate each other's strengths and to shore up each other's weaknesses. Out of their efforts to simply stay alive comes a growing awareness of the Lord's love and care for them, as well as the dim outlines of a plan to keep Rosewood Plantation operating. The book continues the story begun in Angels Watching Over Me, of two very appealing but contrasting characters and their secret mission to provide a sanctuary for others who have been left alone and adrift by a tragic war.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Historical, Civil War, Christian Historical Fiction

Paperback

First published March 31, 2003

About the author

Librarian Note: there is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.

Michael Phillips has been writing in the Christian marketplace for 30 years. All told, he has written, co-written, and edited some 110 books. Phillips and his wife live in the U.S., and make their second home in Scotland.

Reviews

[Makayla Yoder · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars I loved this.🥰

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. It is a beautiful sequel to Angels Watching Over Me. There are some new characters in this second book of the Shenandoah Sisters series, and I loved all of them.

I also liked how the story is different from the first book as Katie and Mayme face new challenges and dangers. Very interesting! Once again, the story is very well told.

I'm completely in love with the series and can't wait to read the third book!!! <3

[Karen & Gerard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Day to Pick Your Own Cotton by Michael Phillips picks up right where Angels Watching Over Me left off and is just as good! This series is about two white girls and two black girls all working together to run a plantation by themselves during the post-Civil war days when racism in the south was rampant. Katie, the orphan of the plantation owners, has a warm heart and even though she is barely managing, takes in yet another young white girl to care for whose mother died and whose father is mean to her since being back from the war.

The story is told by both a plantation owner's daughter and her former slave girl friend, but mostly from the slave girl's point of view. This second book is about courage to survive and has both happy and sad parts to it. Although it is the second of a series, it could also stand alone. I loved it and can't wait to read the next one of this Shenendoah Sisters series. It has interesting character development, excitement, suspense and a very good plot. It's hard to put down and I highly recommend it!

(Karen's review, 5 stars)

[DAISY READS HORROR · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful story about friendships and remaining loyal no matter what the cost is. I enjoyed Katie & Mayme's stories. This is one series I will continue to read on. Especially because this is the 2nd book. Even though I haven’t read the first one, the author did a great job picking up the pieces so a new reader wouldn't feel lost from not reading the previous story. I want to know what Mayme's family was like, what hardships they probably encountered. I want to know if Katie was close to her own mother? Did she have any siblings? I will definitely be picking up the first story soon. Great read!!

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am truly enjoying these books. Life at the end of the Civil War was very hard on the slaves. In this book, the two 15 year old girls are trying to keep people from knowing that their parents and brothers were killed and trying to make things look like every things fine. Mayme (the young slave girl) finds out that Lincoln released all the slaves and that she isn't OWNED by anyone anymore. She is so happy, she goes into a store and buys something for her self for the first time in her life

[Lauri Gentry · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the continuing story the two young women forge ahead working to build a new life for themselves. New characters show up on the scene and are adopted into this unusual family. Mayme endures torture to keep the secrets. Towns people remain curious about the unusual circumstances. How much longer can they keep up the charade? Enjoying the story of these two (now 4) brave and industrious young women.

[Donna Pfeiffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful story about 2 young people that formed an alliance inspite of political and social norms of the time, in order to survive. This alliance impowered both to accomplish their difficult situation as they learned to trust each other and learn from each other. I felt that this was a story written more for youth but one that adults could learn from.

[Matthew Petersheim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad. Like I said, with the first, it's just more targeted for a younger audience. Fun story to break up the normally deep books I prefer, though.

[CJ Wilkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realize this was a series, but now that I know, I am interested in the 3rd one.

These young girls defy all odds to ensure their own survival in the way they wish to survive.

This takes place just as, and just after, the Proclamation was signed, ending slavery.

The amount of gusto these girls have is absolutely something to be proud of and aspire for, and I am hoping Henry won't be ruining it for them.

Well written, good backstory, great verbage for the time with the songs and stories told and how they are told.

Just a good quick read.

- CJ

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Day to Pick Your Own Cotton is a post-Civil War novel by Michael Phillips. It is book two of the Shenandoah Sisters series. It is a fantastic look the culture of the period of time after the Civil War. After the death of her Mother, what would a girl do to keep her plantation going until her father and/or brothers came back from the war?
Kathleen Clairborne (Katie) and Mary Ann Jukes ( Mayme) work together to keep Katie’s plantation going and to provide a home for themselves and Emma and William. Katie and Mayme have to have supplies and food so they head into town to the General Store to purchase some food on her Mother’s account. Mrs. Hammond is concerned because Katie has come instead of her Mother; but gives the girls their supplies as well as a message for her Mother. Katie promises payment as soon as possible. On their way through town, they go by the livery where Henry, a free slave who knows Katie’s family, introduces his son Jeremiah who had hunted him down when the slaves were freed. Katle knows she can’t keep a secret from Henry for long and rushes through their time with him, declining his help to fix the reins on her horse. While picking up their supplies, they hear Mr. McSimmons looking for his slave and her baby. They know it is Emma he is looking for so they hurry home to protect her and William.
Realizing they must spruce up the plantation a little and make plans for a diversion in case someone visits, they clean up the debris around the house and weed the flower garden. They arrange a basket to be carried to the clothes line to be hung up if someone comes. They set up a fire in the slave quarters to make it seem like someone is there. Will it be enough? Will the girls succeed in keeping the plantation and can they keep Emma and William safe, after all, they are only fifteen.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mayme Jukes and Katie Clairborne are two fifteen-year-old girls from worlds apart -- Mayme was born into slavery, while Katie was the daughter of a wealthy family that owned a large plantation. But in the final days of the Civil War, they both lost their families to marauders, and now they share an important secret. After Mayme, fleeing the scene of her family's murders, came across Katie, the only survivor at her plantation, Rosewood, the two girls decided to live there on their own and pretend that Katie's mother is still alive. As if that were not difficult enough, now they must protect three other people as well. Emma, a former slave, and her baby, William, are hiding at Rosewood from William's father, the son of Emma's former master. And Aleta, a young girl whose mother died as they fled from her abusive father, is living at Rosewood and is determined to never return home. Mayme and Katie have other worries as well. A loan is due soon at the bank, and if they don't pay, they will never be able to protect their secret.

This was a good sequel to "Angels Watching Over Me" that continues the story of Mayme and Katie, and introduces some new characters as well. I really enjoyed the first book, and this was an excellent sequel. It brings to life the dangers of the post-Civil War South and is a heartwarming story of friendship. I really came to care about the characters. I recommend these books to teens and adults who like historical fiction about this time period. I look forward to reading the other two books in this series and find out what happens next.

[Yvonne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started to give this book one star but I decided on two because I did have to finish it to believe it was as bad as it was. I did not care for this book because it was too contrived and many of the "adventures" were just ridiculous. The idea that two young girls could carry out the plans laid out by the author are completely unreasonable. The neighbors and townspeople never thought to check on Katie's mother when she stopped appearing in town and/or question why she was never at home when people stopped by...really??? Plus, NOBODY noticed that Miss Katie had blisters on her hands and her complexion would have hardened because of the hard, manual labor of tending the plantation.
The fact that Mayme, now a Free Black spoke with correct English narrating the novel, contrasts with every other Black person in the novel that speaks in an unfortunate representation of Negro dialect. Also, It is unlikely that Emma, the HOUSE slave, would have a worse pronunciation of English than Mayme who was a FIELD slave.
Katie burying Aleta's mother, Katie driving the cotton bales to market, and Katie riding through town with Jeremiah behind her are unbelievable incidents that made me cringe while trying to finish this book. Normally I would stop reading a book after the main characters fail to spark my interest but I kept reading this book because I couldn't put it down, the situations kept spiraling downward until the unsatisfying conclusion...to be continued. Not interested!

[Ogz · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was as thrilling as the first, even more. So much suspense, you want to read more. The plot of this story of four girls from different backgrounds and ethnicity, now share a common lifestyle and story through the hardship of life. The most fascinating of these girls, is that they'll soon begin to share the power of one God. Already, they've begun seeing his mighty love around them especially Mayme and Katie. Their determination to keep the plantation is such an example everyone should follow. They read, prayed, listened and learnt.
I also like the way the writer writes the story from the eyes of a slave girl who has known nothing but pain and hardship and in place of hatred, love takes over and the love in her heart saves her from death. I can keep going on and on... It is however sad that many people today still look at the skin colour to judge a person's behaviour, I think people like that need to read this book. And I am sure the next in the series: the colour of your skin ain't the colour of your heart, will put things in better perspective of how we all need and give love to survive.

[Sherrill Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 2 of 4(?)

Mayme and Katie continue to make people believe that their plantation, Rosewood, is a functioning concern, as they go to town, milk the cows, make butter and learn to make cheese, etc. Mayme sits in the wagon in town, "acting like a colored slave . . . dull and expressionless, like they aren't thinking of anything, like they don't even know how to think;" that perfectly describes Emma!

By now, I was very put off by the language of the plantation slave, Maymee, vs. the 'half-wit' house slave, Emma. She fed William, "An' den he went ter sleep . . . I thought you was never gwine get back."

Mayme goes back to her old plantation, then on into town. She can read all the town signs, including one for work. In two months. Oh well.

Then Aleta shows up. She's "8 or 9", an orphan, and prejudiced, but under Katie's tutelage she changes. Mayme is taken prisioner at her old plantation, and Katie and Emma ride there to save her from a lynching by "William McSimmonds" and friends. Jeremiah helps.

They begin to pick the cotton, pay off one mortgage. But there is another mortgage, and Jeremiah's father is getting suspicious . . .

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mayme is a young African-American girl who is forced to grow up after being orphaned by the Civil War. After meeting another young girl named Katie, the daughter of a plantation owner, the two try to team up to run Katie's families plantation, Rosewood. There's only one catch. There's no one else is there. Soon Rosewood becomes a sanctuary for slaves who have escaped from cruel plantation owners who aren't letting their slaves go so easily. As their time increases at Rosewood, so does their risk of being discovered. Very few people in the deep south were willing to accept change after they lost the war.

This adventure back in time is a realistic fiction story that I enjoyed a lot. This book is written in a way that made me feel like I was right beside Mayme and Katie as they struggled through each passing day. This is the second book in the Shenandoch Sisters series. A similar story in Cat Among the Pidgeons from the Cat Royal series. Overall, I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars due to its ability to capture my imagination for so long that I was able to finish it in under 2 hours.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katie (15) and Mayme (16) are forced to grow up quickly after being orphaned by the Civil War. Katie is the dauther of a white plantation owner, Mayme is the daughter of a slave. Katie's home, Rosewood, becomes their sanctuary, but they learn a different life trying to exist with no adults around. Emma shows up...also a black slave child who doesn't know who her parents are, and is heavy with child from the master's son. Aleta shows up...the 8 year old child of a woman who died when her horse fell. She was fleeing, with Aleta, from her abusive husband. Now the 4 girls, and little William the infant, are doing all they can to protect themselves from being found out ... alone on a huge plantation. Emma's master knows about the child and they are looking for her to kill her and the baby. Then the bad news comes...foreclosure on the plantation. Mayme, who has picked cotton since she was a little girl, realized they have a whole field of cotton, ready to pick. A big order for 4 girls, with only 3 days to accomplish the necessary task. Can they make it?

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book continues the saga of Kathleen and Mayme, who are in an unusual predicament following the Civil War. I was once again rooting for the young women throughout the book.

One change in this second book of the series is that the faith of the girls develops. I like the characters very much.

My issues with the first book remain here. The dialogue feels unnatural when Phillips writes Mayme or other African American characters. He also includes every possible stereotype about the postbellum South.

My recommendation stays the same: 6-8th grade girls learning about the Civil War and its aftermath.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second book of a series. Two teenage girls, one black, one white brought together by the slaughter of their families on separate plantations. They must now decide how to survive and run the plantation without anyone knowing they are doing it on their own. Another young black girl gives birth in their barn. A younger white girl shows up after her mother is accidentally killed. Two mouths have become five. Someone is searching for the three newcomers. The KKK has been formed. A loan on the plantation is coming due. How will four girls and a babe survive? A quick read. This historical novel will keep you reading.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of Katie and Mayme continues. They are faced with trials and hardships as they attempt to keep life on the plantation looking normal. No small feat for two teenage girls.

They manage to harvest enough cotton to keep from losing their home. All the while keeping the secret that is their fate. They are each the only survivor in their family. Both touched by mobs that raided and killed.

Their friendship grows and they understand that "It's the love in a person's heart that makes us different, not the color of our skin. Some people have love in their heart, others don't."

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I did not read Book #1 in this series. I was able to deduct what had happened (key points, anyway) and it was easy to start right off in Book #2. The story between these two girls, and then four girls, is amazing. I read many passages, sometimes entire chapters, to my 8-year-old daughter. Very historical, although I don't know how accurate - it seems it would have been harder for 4 young girls to run an entire cotton plantation on their own than this book demonstrates. But it was a light-hearted story that I enjoyed.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book out of order, after reading book 1 and 3. I enjoyed learning how the girls did certain jobs around the plantation. There is a description of the way to make cheese, since they had more milk than they could use. There is a step by step account of how they did their laundry, which was interesting. The girls developed a love for God and of each other. I am enjoying this series. The hatred by white people,for colored people, after the war is also shown.

[Linda B.D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A review of all 4 books in this series. Wow! What a fantastic story. Quite different than any I've read so far. Set in the 1800's, during one of the most famous raids, children are left alone to fend for themselves. This shows exactly what it was like during these times. Clear characters & smoothly written. Each book just keeps on getting better. A huge thank you to the author for these great books.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katie, the daughter of a plantation owner, and Mayme, the daughter of a slave, find themselves with only each other after the Civil War.
They devise a scheme to keep Katie's plantation going, disguising the fact they are all alone. They take care of Emma, another runaway slave and her baby, William. They find out all previous slaves and free after the end of the War. But they must keep the secret that they are alone on the plantation.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unknowing that it was part of a series, I read this book. It was about a slave and a white teen who came together at the end of the Civil War when both of their families were killed. I really admire their courage and the way they pulled together regardless of their "status" in life back then. This book showed great friendship, love, and the exploration of talking to God. I cannot wait to read more of this series!

[Margaret Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping Tale of the civil war and the aftermath

My heart is broken for the suffering of these people. Yes, its fiction but all too true of what many suffered thru the hatred and ignorance of sinful man. Thank God for redemption and salvation thru Jesus. Looking forward to reading how these beautiful souls get thru the next book.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the first two books in this series and will keep reading - I have "The Color of Your Skin Ain't the Color of your Heart" on hold at the library right now. The relationship between the girls was so sweet and believable. I have been a Christian for many years, but the way Mayme learned to listen to Gods still small voice really spoke to me and I was reminded to do that in my life as well.

[Gayle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think this series is one of Michael Phillips best simply because he has veered away from his normal George MacDonald style of writing and that is one of the aspects of his books that I most love. It is a good story, however.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd in the Shenandoah Sisters series. I believe I enjoyed this installment more than the first. Looking forward to getting into the 3rd now. The story is a little unbelievable and I can't really see these things happening in the South after the Civil War but it is still a great read.

[Carol Hahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series Shenadoah Sisters. This is a well written historical fiction story for older elementary aged children, probably girls. The setting is a southern plantation after the civil war. There are Christian aspects to the story.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another sweet continuation of The Shenandoah Sisters Series. Story line mostly far-fetched and a little hard to believe. The portrayal of blacks living in the south, after the civil war, is realistic and disturbing. Spiritual truths come in near the end of the book.