Saving Grace - Hardcover

Priscilla Cummings lives in Annapolis, Maryland.

Gr. 4-7. During the depths of the Depression, 11-year-old Grace McFarland suffers grinding poverty. Papa can't find work, the family is homeless, and Grace and her younger brothers are placed in a charity shelter. The prosperous Hammond family take Grace in for Christmas, and she's suddenly surrounded with wonderful clothes, food, and gifts. But how can she enjoy the luxury when her older brother is dying in a TB hospital, Papa is in line at the soup kitchen, and Mama is in a dreary basement caring for the baby? Then the rich Hammonds offer to adopt Grace. What should she do? The realistic historical detail is an integral part of the family drama, but the class differences and adoption conflicts are universal. The child's personal conflict is the core of the story, drawing readers into Grace's guilty secrets, which are not only about the stealing that has become a habit but also about deserting her family. The tension builds until the last chapter, when Grace must decide where to find her home. Hazel Rochman
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