Reviewed by Montpelier Magazine (James Madison University)

"...By contrast, in Owens' Nadanda the Wordmaker and The Rosebush Witch,
both of her protagonists are African American girls who are self-empowered
so that they will be able to solve their problems."

". . .Although Owens' fiction celebrates African American culture, expecially the oral tradition
of Sourthern black storytelling, she believes her books transcend a strictly
African American readership. Both her books, after all, deal with the fears
and anxieties that children of all races share. In this regard, she insists her books
are multicultural because they let children of other races visit an African American
child and say 'Oh, so this is what you are like.'"

". . .When talking with Owens, whose voice conveys a luminous, confident
presence and gracious humor, one tends to linger in a front-porch, general store,
dusty small-town kind of way. One suspects that whether in a classroom, the
book-crammed study in which she writes or the fiction she creates, any place
infused with Owens' spirit will be secure and inviting. You may find yourself
asking for a story."

“…Nadanda's fast-paced story sticks to the same rules (as Nancy Drew), yet manages to keep a reader who can be bored by Clint Eastwood films turning pages eagerly…Owens succeeds in providing an upbeat, multicultural role model without letting a message overpower a good story…”

Chris Edwards, DAILY NEWS-RECORD