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Description
To escape the Irish potato famine of the 1840s, twelve-year-old Annie and her brother emigrate to New York City where they join their older sister as servants, earning money to bring their family to America.
Quick Summary
If your kid is into historical fiction, especially stories about kids who had it tough but kept going, this one's a great pick. Annie Quinn is a twelve-year-old Irish girl who, along with her brother, leaves behind the devastation of the potato famine and sails to New York City to work as a servant so she can earn money to bring the rest of her family to America. It's one of those stories that really shows you what life was like for immigrant kids back in the 1840s the long hours, the homesickness, the grit it took to survive and it does it without feeling like a textbook. Kids who enjoy books like "The Journal of Augustus Quidd" or anything by Karen Hesse will probably love this one. There's some emotional weight here since families get separated and life is hard, but there's also warmth and hope in how Annie stays determined for her family. Parents should know it's a solid, well-written historical story with no inappropriate content just real struggles and real heart.