The Boston Jane series, Book 1 Jennifer L. Holm HarperCollins Fiction, YA Historical Fiction Themes: Frontier Tales, Girl Power ***+
Description
Miss Jane Peck's life in mid-1800's Philadelphia was a carefree one, playing with the boys in the streets and sometimes helping her doctor papa with his
patients... at least, until Sally Biddle's nasty comments made her realize how little like a proper lady she was, how unlikely she was to find happiness. When
her father takes on a new apprentice, handsome young William, she feels her inadequacies all the more acutely. It takes a few years of hard studies, but Jane
finally seems to be getting the hang of etiquette, the importance of knowing how to serve a proper cup of tea, and the horrors of showing one's ankles in
public or committing the Great Mistake of allowing a young man a kiss without a wedding ring involved. Surely, despite Sally's ongoing barbs, she's a worthy
bride for a young doctor like William! Only William's decided to pursue a fortune in timber, traveling to the remote Washington Territory. Still, she has his
promise in writing.
At Shoalwater Bay, after a horrific voyage full of fleas and terror and tragedy, Jane disembarks to find... nothing. No city or town, save one filthy trading
post. No Society, unless a gaggle of barefoot, immodest savages and unwashed traders count. And no William - who, for some reason, has been sent by the
territorial governor on an unknown assignment deeper into the wilderness. A settlement like this has no place for a lady whose chief accomplishment was
winning an embroidery contest at a finishing school. What is she to do, until her would-be husband comes back? And what if he doesn't come for her at all?
Review
This is a quick-reading tale of adventure and hardship and finding oneself even in the most difficult circumstances. Jane starts out terribly impressionable and
obtuse, letting Sally's barbs and William's vague encouragements override her beloved father's influence and her own nature in pursuit of proper ladyship. She clings
to the promise offered by her finishing school handbook, that a woman's purpose is to find happiness by making others happy, like a life raft as one catastrophe
after another upends her dreams. Indeed, it takes several proverbial mule-kicks to the skull to get anything through her head, though to be fair teen girls can be
exceptionally stubborn. It still was a little trying to read, though. Holm's research lends a sheen of authenticity to the challenges of frontier life, particularly
her interactions with the local Chinook tribe. The story starts fairly quickly and maintains a decent degree of momentum throughout, though the ending felt a little
abrupt. It only lost a half-star due to Jane's occasionally-irritating stubbornness, both at the beginning (as she resolutely ignores her Papa and vital clues related
to him) and the end. I might consider reading more in the series.
The Fourteenth Goldfish series, Book 1 Jennifer L. Holm HarperCollins Fiction, MG General Fiction/Sci-Fi Themes: Cross-Genre, Girl Power, Medicine, Schools ****
Description
When Ellie was in kindergarten, her teacher gave every child in the class a goldfish, to teach them about the cycle of life... but, unlike the rest of her classmates
whose fish died in a matter of weeks, hers lasted for years. Or so she thought, until she found Goldie dead one morning and her mother revealed she'd been replacing
fish behind her back to shield her from the trauma of death and change: thirteen of them, at least. Maybe that's part of why Ellie, now eleven, is having a tough time
dealing with the changes that come with middle school. Her long-time best friend Brianna now hangs out with the volleyball crowd. Most of the kids in her classes are
strangers. Worse, they're all finding their passions while she's just flailing about, the same old Ellie. Then, one night, her mother comes home with a strange teen
boy... a boy who, somehow, impossibly, is her grandfather Melvin. The man was always a scientist, and claims he's found a cure for aging - only he forgot to tell his
employers what he was up to, and was nabbed by police as a tresspasser while trying to get back to his lab. Melvin recruits Ellie to help him continue his research,
convinced it will change the world... but is the world ready for this kind of change? Is Ellie?
Review
Another audiobook to pass the time at work, The Fourteenth Goldfish is a fun story of science and change and unintended consequences. Through Melvin, Ellie
discovers the wonders of science, a subject her parents always found boring (being more theatrically inclined, a field that Ellie never took to as her mother or father
had hoped)... but she also learns that discoveries can have drawbacks, and not every problem can or should be solved. Melvin may look like a teen boy, but his mind is
still that of a crusty old man, struggling to accept his new reality and the fact that he's not the head of the household any more; he's forced to go to middle school
and interact with teens, not to mention dealing with acne and being technically a minor under guardianship of his daughter, whom he can't help but see as the teen girl
who once ran away and eloped with Ellie's dad. Along the way, Ellie makes some new friends and learns to see the world a different way... and so, eventually and
reluctantly, does her grandfather. The story's tone is fairly light and lively, yet it still manages to explore ideas about change and age and even grief. Once in a
while it gets a slight bit heavy-handed about introducing historical scientists into Ellie's (and the target audience's) world, but it is supposed to be a book about a
girl's eyes being opened to the wonders (and dangers) of scientific exploration. The end offers hints of sequel potential, naturally. It's a decent, enjoyable story
all around (though there is something a little wrong about a teacher not only giving a live pet to children, but doing so expecting the animal to die; we once had a
cheap feeder goldfish like that last for years, outliving several "fancy" goldfish - and, yes, it was the same fish, not replaced - so their imminent and convenient
death is by no means a given. Plus goldfish are messy, and a bit of a pain to keep properly if you don't want them swimming in a too-small bowl of their own filth...
but, I digress.)
