I first read this book back in 1996 or so when it first came out (or was re-released, I'm not really sure) I was about 10 or so when I read it, and didn't understand a lot of what was in the book, but I kept it, because the story itself was good.

When I was adding books to my library I came across it again, and found that there were no reviews for it. Huh? It's a great book, at least to what I remember. So I cracked it open again, and remembered why (and understood so much more being older!) I loved this book.

It starts out with a little boy named Raymond, and a teen who appears and talks to him. The nun is stunned, where did this woman come from? Raymond, who never talks to anyone talked to her. They exchanged rings (his being plastic, hers being a ruby) and then the girl disappears.

Years later Toy Johnson is a teacher, everyone likes her, she takes care of everyone the best she can. Whether giving kids money for jackets or giving families rent money so they don't get evicted. Her husband, a surgeon, forbids her from doing this, saying that it's his money he worked for it and he won't share it with lazy bums.

So Toy moves in with her best friend, and fellow teacher, Sylvia. They go to New York where things get...a little weird.

She has dreams about helping children, like helping a little boy get away from fire, only she wakes up in the hospital (Sylvia notices she isn't really breathing and calls 911) with burns on her hands.

Then, the reporters come and she is accused of murder.

**This is an excellent story and you'll be pulled in from the very beginning. A must read, go on give it a try.**

"...Makes us believe in the human spirit, and what is can accomplish...a great page-turner" - Associated Press ( )

Two problems for me in this book.
#1-Writers often use religious affiliations other than their own and scramble the details. (Baptists don't have altar guilds, for example.)
#2-I don't know of any religion that believes people are, or become, angels. That seemed to originate in Hollywood (not a reliable source of religious understanding).
Like all of Nancy Taylor Rosenberg's books, this book was an interesting page-turner though. ( )