Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park

How I Heard About It:
*Over the summer, I've been hearing wonderful things about this historical fiction middle-grade novel.  I had an ARC copy, but decided to listen to the story via Audible during my morning walks.  There were some days I would walk a little further because I wasn't ready to hit pause.  

What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:
1.  *Hanna is a young girl, who has just relocated from Los Angeles to a small America town in the middle of the country during the year 1880.  

2.  *She has traveled here with her father who is going to open up a new shop.

3.  *Life is not easy for Hanna because she is what they call a half/half.  Her father is white and her mother was Chinese.  She lost her mother when she died from cancer a few years back.

4.  *Hanna can't wait to start school as that was a goal she and her mother had for her.  She is shocked and dismayed when she is treated like a complete outsider by not only the other children, but some adults as well.

5.  *Hanna and her father work hard to get their new shop set up and hope the townspeople will show up once it is open.  This may not happen because of Hanna's background and color of her skin.

What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1.  *I have been on a roll with historical fiction and must saying I'm enjoying it.  

2.  *Based on all the positive reviews, I was excited to start listening to the story.  The first few chapters were a bit slow and I was nervous I wouldn't enjoy the story.  

3.  *Once I got several chapters in and the "conflict" started, I was HOOKED.  

4.  *As I listened, there were several cringe worthy moments when some of the characters treated Hanna so poorly because she was Chinese.  

5.  *I not only enjoyed the story, but I learned a lot about this time period in our country.  

Who Should Read It:
*Readers in grades four, five and six will enjoy the story Linda Sue Park has created.  They will especially love the "back-matter" Linda included.  A great historical fiction story for all students in upper elementary school.  Happy Reading!  


Rating:  4 STARS out of 5 Stars