The New York Times Book Review - J. Courtney Sullivan
Martin excels at capturing the hopes and hardships of adolescent girls.
Publishers Weekly - Audio
This first book of Martin’s new Family Tree series tells of the childhood of Abby, who lives with her parents and little sister in a small Maine town in the 1930s. Each chapter moves the story ahead a year or two, as Abby grows from a young girl excited about a carnival to a young woman who rejects her father’s insistence that she marry a wealthy neighbor’s son and moves to New York City to pursue a career. In the intervening years, Abby faces many sorrows, including her disabled little brother being sent to an institution and the deaths of her best friend and her mother. Narrator Annalie Gernert’s youthful voice makes her a good match for young Abby, and she differentiates the other characters well, from high-pitched, bubbly little sister Rose to toddler Adele and Abby’s stern, no-nonsense father. Lorna Raver effectively narrates the book’s prologue in which elderly Abby looks back at her life. Ages 8-12. A Scholastic hardcover. (May)
From the Publisher
Martin (Ten Rules for Living with My Sister) paints an authentic picture of white middle-class life during the 1930s in this first installment of the Family Tree series, tracing four generations of American girls. Growing up in Maine, eight-year-old Abby Nichols is the oldest daughter of an ambitious carpenter eager to realize the American Dream. But his prejudices are strong, too: he won’t let Abby associate with her Irish Catholic neighbor, Orrin, among others. As Abby’s father gains success, she enjoys more privileges, including a big new house in the city, but the family’s newfound prosperity doesn’t ease her outrage over her father’s mistreatment of the less fortunate, including Abby’s mentally impaired baby brother. Besides addressing the subject of bigotry, Martin underscores the powerlessness of wives and children at the time, revealing the positive and negative sides of tight family bonds. Abby grows into a resilient young woman (the novel spans more than 10 years), willing to speaks her mind and assert her independence. Martin incorporates universal themes into this period piece, and her poignant writing is sure to satisfy fans. - Publishers Weekly starred review
