MUD ANGELS: History Restored

Albert Whitman, 2024

With weather extremes occurring around the globe, sometimes without warning, this historical fiction account of a flash flood in Florence, Italy resonates with modern times and concerns. MUD ANGELS: How Students Saved the City of Florence is written by Karen M. Greenwald and illustrated by Olga Lee. Despite modern scientific developments in forecasting and remarkable global scientific tools, sudden weather events continue to assault communities, too often without  warning. 

In this account of a surprise weather event in the 1960s, Florence, Italy, was badly damaged by storm-generated rogue waves. Magnified by their containment within urban canals, the waters rose several stories high, rushing and crushing everything in their wake. Although that weather event itself lasted only eighteen hours before the waters suddenly receded back to the sea, the damage to everything in its path would take massive efforts for weeks, months, to salvage and rescue the city and its cultural treasures from utter destruction. (Learn more about that storm HERE.)

Author Greenwald creates personal connection for young readers to this story featuring older kids. The young narrator indicates that a four-generations-old hand-printed book authored by her ancestor resides in the Central Library of Florence, an even-older institution that was directly in the path of those rising, ravaging waters. The narrator's family lived nearby and operated the hotel at which many young Florida State University students resided during their time in Florence.

The well-researched story begins in modern times, revealing that the institution still serves its community. A page-turn takes readers back in time more than fifty years to what could also be considered "modern times" and yet clearly qualifies as history. Unheralded from that era and that horrific episode are the young people who led the rescue and restoration of the flood-damaged books in the Central Library of Florence. The author's notes (in back acknowledgements) share her information sources and interests, with reference to the young story narrator's likely perspective  through interactions with the students staying in her parents' hotel. The author was able to incorporate primary source materials to assure that this rarely-told story would honestly and thoroughly depict the brave young "mud angels" from many countries whose efforts are celebrated in the book. 

Illustrations suggest a page-turn time shift, depicting visiting students who wear period clothing (girls in skirts, not slacks) and the obvious thrill it must have been for international youth to be able to study and learn in such an exciting location. The subsequent and remarkable efforts of visiting students in attempting to rescue and restore priceless and timeless volumes from the flooded, muddied lower levels of the library are revealed in efficient text and compelling visuals. The residue "mud" and waters of the flood (as anyone who has dealt with such events will attest) included dangerous detritus, unknown chemical contaminants , and other matter that exposed those young people to serious harm to their skin, lungs, eyes, and more. 

Internal illustration from ARC, MUD ANGELS
Albert Whitman, April, 2024

And yet they left their safe hotel rooms, those young folks who were not even residents of Florence. They could have remained comfortably above the waters, or returned to their homes, but instead they plunged into the deepest levels of the muddied institution, determined to rescue and revive as many of the ancient volumes as they could. The author compares the eventual influx of even more students arriving from around the world to waves of human, international good will, volunteering to participate in a rescue effort that spanned not months, but years. That theme, of serving, caring, and borderless commitment is clearly and effectively conveyed. Volunteering relies on such efforts, and a story like this is overdue in giving credit where it is so well-deserved.

This important, inspiring, informative new picture book will release in April, 2024. You can preorder a copy from the publisher, your favorite book store, or online sources. By the way, National Library Week (ALA) is in April, so consider purchasing a copy to give to your own favorite library! At the very least, share this review with your favorite youth librarian and encourage them to add it to the public collection! May no library ever need such a cadre of MUD ANGELS, but if and when it happens, consider stepping up. Serving our communities can be inspired by this story, and it deserves everyone's appreciation.