Angelica’s Bear, written by Christina Crooks, is the story of Angelica, a young American who becomes fascinated with animals after her tragic experience at the orphanage. When we read about the way Angelica interacts with other children in the orphanage, it is clear that she wants to be part of the picture, but what is her nationality? We learn that Angelica’s Bear was originally from the state of Ohio, as the bear’s given name suggests. However, when Christina Crooks’s great aunt decides to give up her citizenship and live in England, the identity of this orphan is revealed. The novel concentrates on the development of this great American through the eyes of her great aunt, the reader eventually getting to know Angelica’s Bear more as the story progresses.
In the beginning, the novel presents us with Angelica’s desire to return to America, where her birth parents are from, and find the identity of her real nationality. It is here that the true story of the bear begins to unfold, where her struggle to fit into human society despite her unique features takes an interesting turn. It is here that the true identity of Angelica’s Bear is revealed, revealing her true identity as a creature from a faraway country. Through her own thoughts, the author shows us how children handle race issues in the US, how poor standards of physical attractiveness affect girls more than those of boys, and why attitudes towards people from other countries has been gradually changing over time.
Throughout the years since publishing Age of Angels, Christina Crooks has returned to her novel, The Bear That Wouldn’t Smile Again, in which she tackles some of the same themes, using slightly different characters and settings. The main difference is that in this sequel she chooses to expand on the story of Angelica, delving into the lives of her foster family and exploring what happened to her and how her nationality influenced the people around her. Age of Angels is a wonderful tale of lost innocence and exploring how our views of nationality affect the way we live today.