Monday, October 26, 2020

Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park

 

Hanna is a 14-year-old girl who settles in a South Dakota town with her father. The year is 1880, and Hanna, who is half Chinese, knows that she will face prejudice in her new town. Hanna and her father, who is white, are still mourning the death of her mother, who was Chinese. Living in California wasn't quite as difficult, but now that they are in a prairie town (yes, almost exactly like the prairie town that Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about), Hanna must struggle just to finish school. Hanna has a gift for designing clothing, and in addition to finishing school, she wants to open a dress shop in her father's store, and she yearns for a friend. Hanna's interactions with indigenous women she meets on the prairie are priceless, and while this books stands alone, it is certainly also a response to other books that have glorified the white pioneers and settlers. Recommended for all readers from third grade through adults. 

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