“My books promised me that life wasn’t just made up of workaday tasks and prosaic things. The world is bigger and more colorful and more important than that.”
Joan Skraggs lives on a farm with her horrible father and three brothers. When her father bans her from going to school and burns her beloved books, Joan runs away to Baltimore, lies about her age, and becomes a maid for a Jewish family.
Within a few pages I found myself sympathizing with Joan. She was such a lively, colorful, and imaginative character. I couldn’t help falling in love with her.
I loved how the author showed Joan’s intelligence and love of books, but also reminded us that she was only fourteen. Joan cried, fell in love with a man much too old for her, held grudges, was clumsy, and hated the way she looked. She was insecure, but at the same time so smart. I loved her voice that seemed to be coming off the pages.
The author drew a wonderful contrast between Joan, the Rosenbachs, and the cranky but lovable housemaid Malka. Joan experienced what it meant to be a servant in a rich household. It confused her when Mr Rosenbach was so kind and treated her like his own daughter, but Mrs. Rosenbach was cold toward her.
This book is written in diary form as Joan records the events of each passing day. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. One moment Joan was shopping for hats and the next going to the opera or meeting strange men in libraries who quoted poetry to her.
At times Joan’s naïvety made me wince, for I saw the downfall in one of her grand plans coming a mile ahead. But maybe that’s what made her so special. When she was sad I wanted to make her a cup of hot chocolate and give her a warm blanket to snuggle up in. I found myself truly caring for her.
This book explored different religions respectfully, which I found very interesting, but ultimately it was about a young girl’s thirst for knowledge. Charming and touching, with a gem of a narrator.
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