- two sweet sisters live a sad, dismal life as orphans in a London workhouse
- after escaping, they run into more trouble and a seemingly hopeless situation
- flickers of hope occasionally appear but don’t make a big appearance till the end
- convo topics: several deaths, mistreatment of children, praying for the dead (only one instance), kidnappings mentioned, lying
- language: x1 stupid, 3-5x ninny (name-calling)
Type: chapter book
Ages: 8-12
Author: Elvira Woodruff
The minimum age of 8 is due to the more intense scenes. Give it a pre-read if you want to let younger ages read it. Overall, it is a well-written story with a Dickensesque feel–I just don’t want you to be surprised at the content!
It’s a secular story, though people are said to pray a few times. The sisters have a very close relationship, with the elder always deeply thoughtful of the younger. They befriend a boy in the book, so I can see this being enjoyed by either gender; however, there’s a theme of dolls and sewing, so it probably leans toward girls. The ending really is very sweet, albeit somewhat predictable to an adult.
Have you read this one?