Search of the Moon King's Daughter
Grade 6-9-Emmaline, the daughter of a village shopkeeper, leads an idyllic existence in 1830s England. When her father dies of cholera, the family is forced to move to a factory town where her mother finds work in a mill. When Emmaline is 15, her mother is injured in an industrial accident and becomes addicted to laudanum; she sells her young, deaf son into service as a chimney sweep to support her habit. Emmaline goes to London to search for him and finds work as a scullery maid. When she is not working, she relentlessly searches for her brother. She also begins to form connections with her fellow servants in the house where she works and lives. Emmaline is a strong young woman who takes things into her own hands. The supporting characters are also well drawn and three-dimensional. The narrative moves swiftly, thanks to short chapters and several subplots and twists, and builds to a satisfying conclusion. Period details enhance the descriptions, especially that of sooty, Dickensian London. Fans of historical fiction will be hooked.Kristen Oravec, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Strongsville, OHCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.