From the publisher:
It's 1914. Susan O'Neal's widowed mother takes in a boarder to help pay the rent--an Englishwoman named Bea. As Susan helps Bea unpack, she glimpses a letter with the words 'must be kept secret for now.'
Susan forgets about the letter for weeks...until Mum disappears.
Suddenly Susan realizes how little they know about Bea--and she becomes sure Bea is somehow involved in Mum's disappearance. To find her mother, Susan must discover the secrets their mysterious boarder is hiding.
It's 1914. Susan O'Neal's widowed mother takes in a boarder to help pay the rent--an Englishwoman named Bea. As Susan helps Bea unpack, she glimpses a letter with the words 'must be kept secret for now.'
Susan forgets about the letter for weeks...until Mum disappears.
Suddenly Susan realizes how little they know about Bea--and she becomes sure Bea is somehow involved in Mum's disappearance. To find her mother, Susan must discover the secrets their mysterious boarder is hiding.
Alice B. reviewed Secrets on 26th Street (American Girl History Mysteries, Bk 5) on + 3591 more book reviews
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Great story for any age! Strong female characters and a cohesive plot weave their way between fact and fiction to create an interesting story set in New York City in 1914. Unknown to Susan O'Neal, her widowed mother's new English boarder is a suffragette who has come to organize the neighborhood. Susan slowly becomes aware that Bea is hiding something, and grows suspicious of this woman with whom she has formed a close bond. When her mother disappears, the girl suspects that Bea knows more than she'll admit and demands some answers. She then learns that her mother has become involved in the movement and was arrested during a demonstration that turned riotous. The author's description of the city in the early 1900s accurately shows the hardships endured. Main and secondary characters are believable individuals reacting to situations in a consistent manner as they strive to better their situations. They move within the framework of the plot, interacting with one another, relying on their common sense to help them through a difficult time. Bea's political struggle and the lies she must create in order to continue her work compete with her love for Susan, who wants to know the truth. The author does an excellent job of maintaining a heightened sense of suspense throughout the story. The inclusion of historical information regarding the suffragist movement is an added bonus to this entertaining story.
Great story for any age! Strong female characters and a cohesive plot weave their way between fact and fiction to create an interesting story set in New York City in 1914. Unknown to Susan O'Neal, her widowed mother's new English boarder is a suffragette who has come to organize the neighborhood. Susan slowly becomes aware that Bea is hiding something, and grows suspicious of this woman with whom she has formed a close bond. When her mother disappears, the girl suspects that Bea knows more than she'll admit and demands some answers. She then learns that her mother has become involved in the movement and was arrested during a demonstration that turned riotous. The author's description of the city in the early 1900s accurately shows the hardships endured. Main and secondary characters are believable individuals reacting to situations in a consistent manner as they strive to better their situations. They move within the framework of the plot, interacting with one another, relying on their common sense to help them through a difficult time. Bea's political struggle and the lies she must create in order to continue her work compete with her love for Susan, who wants to know the truth. The author does an excellent job of maintaining a heightened sense of suspense throughout the story. The inclusion of historical information regarding the suffragist movement is an added bonus to this entertaining story.
