I don't know how anyone wouldn't love this book! You will find yourself lost in the past with Zee and back in the present with Elizabeth. What a wonderful way to learn about what life was like during revolutionary times as told through the eyes of a young girl during that time. At the same time, you will be entertained by a wonderful story about a girl living in the present who is watching the past unfold. I LOVES this story! ( )

When her father goes to Australia to sell his carvings, Elizabeth is sent to stay with her dead mother’s sister, Aunt Libby. Elizabeth isn’t happy about leaving her home and her friends but is drawn to a picture in Aunt Libby’s house of a girl who looks just like her. The picture is of Zee – Elizabeth’s ancestor from the time of the American Revolution.
This book contains two stories - Zee’s story is intermingled with Elizabeth’s as she tries to find out more about her ancestor. Both girls come across as real characters and there are a number of similarities between them and their situations. This book is an engaging read suitable for girls aged 9 and up – particularly those enjoy ‘real’ stories. ( )

Publisher's Weekly 9/6/2010
This novel by two-time Newbery Honor author Giff gracefully bridges two eras and two insightful perspectives. Elizabeth is a contemporary girl who goes to stay with her late mother's sister, Libby, while her father is away. There, she is captivated by a drawing of a young woman who looks remarkably like her: Zee, an ancestor whose patriot father died fighting in the American Revolution and whose mother was killed when their cabin was ambushed. Through thoughtfully crafted narratives that alternate between each heroine--Elizabeth's story is told in the third-person present tense, Zee's interior monologue is written in the past tense--Giff draws parallels between the two. Both are tenacious yet self-deprecating, have lost family, and are uprooted and searching for a sense of belonging. A roughly drawn map on the back of Zee's portrait and the scattered information Libby and a cousin know about their ancestors help Elizabeth assemble the pieces of Zee's life and become the present-day teller of her story. As she brings these characters and history alive, Giff again demonstrates her own gift for storytelling.

Two stories: the first a contemporary story about Elizabeth who goes to stay with her dead mother's sister, whom she hardly knows. There she finds a portrait of Zee, an ancestor from Revolutionary times, and she is drawn to find out more about her. The second is the story of Zee, and tells of her family's experiences during the war: house destroyed, mother dead, father and brother off to war. Zee, her hands burned, goes to find her father and brother, and is caught up in the war. Interesting threads weave connections between the stories, and the conclusion is satisfying.

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

When Elizabeth's father tells her he will be traveling to Australia to sell his wood carvings, she thinks it means she'll have to stay with Mrs. Eldridge and endure her overweight bulldog and his bad breath. She's in for a surprise. Father says Elizabeth will be staying with her Aunt Libby, her mother's sister.

Staying with Libby means living with someone she doesn't even know and going to a new school where she doesn't have any friends. All Father says is it is time Elizabeth learned about her mother's side of the family.

Libby makes Elizabeth feel as welcome as possible. The house is awfully quiet and her aunt's cooking is horrible, but when Libby shows Elizabeth to the room she'll be using while she visits, everything feels a bit better. The room belonged to Elizabeth's mother when she was a girl. There's a handmade quilt on the bed and a cozy chair by the window perfect for snuggling up in with a good book.

It doesn't take long for Elizabeth to discover the faded sketch of a young girl hanging in the hall. It is amazing how much the girl resembles her. Libby tells Elizabeth that the girl's name was Eliza "Zee," and she lived during the Revolutionary War. Elizabeth is filled with questions about this mysterious girl from the past, and what follows is a fascinating journey into her family history.

Author Patricia Reilly Giff tells the stories of modern-day Elizabeth and 18th-century Zee through alternating chapters. Elizabeth learns not only about the mother she lost years ago, but also about her family's place in history. Readers also hear Zee's story as she fights for survival during a time of war that separated families and tore apart lives. Giff's gift for writing historical fiction is put to excellent use in STORYTELLER as she bridges from past to present to connect the story of two young girls. ( )