Review: Fascinating Reading
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 10, 2012
Nell finds herself pregnant at 17 in a small town in the 1870's were marriage is the only obvious solution for a prominant family with a step-father trying to rise in the ranks of a political career and a mother who is ill. Nell refuses to name the father and her step-father ships her off to a Poor farm in Wisconsin to have her baby. Her friend Martin and all the people in the town are lead to believe she is recovering from a disease. Nell becomes a seamstress at the farm and makes friends with an "embicile" named Tess and the house lady Mrs. Lombardi. nell gives birth to a little girl named Sarah. There is murder, mystery and tenderness in this book. It shows the bravery and determination of a young woman in those trying times. I found it so interesting on how people were judged and treated back in the 1800's. The great Chicago fire was wonderfully illustrated by this author.I just loved this book. I have not read anything by her before and I will certainly read more. I was a little sadenned by the ending. I was hoping it would have ended a different way.