Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All Laura Ruby HarperCollins, 2019 363 pages Grades 8-Up Historical Fiction/Fantasy Frankie has lived in a Catholic Chicago orphanage with her brother and sister since her mother died many years ago. Her immigrant Italian father remarries and moves to Colorado, taking her brother and step-siblings, yet leaving Frankie and her sister behind. Through the backdrop of World War II, Frankie comes of age, surviving rationing and dodging the blows of the nuns. Even though the boys and girls are kept separate at the orphanage, Frankie manages to find love, only to have him leave to fight in the war. A reunion with family members reveals hidden truths about the past, as well as bringing about more hurt and fresh wounds. Frankie must make some big decisions to ensure the safety and future of both herself and her sister. Meanwhile, our narrator, a young ghost, has her own story to tell. As she zips around Chicago, observing Frankie, as well as other regulars on her rounds, she makes a ghost friend who helps her to come to terms with her violently tragic past. A story within a story, the ghost's past life is slowly revealed, this time during the previous world war, ending in a surprising demise.
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Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All
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Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All Laura Ruby HarperCollins, 2019 363 pages Grades 8-Up Historical Fiction/Fantasy Frankie has lived in a Catholic Chicago orphanage with her brother and sister since her mother died many years ago. Her immigrant Italian father remarries and moves to Colorado, taking her brother and step-siblings, yet leaving Frankie and her sister behind. Through the backdrop of World War II, Frankie comes of age, surviving rationing and dodging the blows of the nuns. Even though the boys and girls are kept separate at the orphanage, Frankie manages to find love, only to have him leave to fight in the war. A reunion with family members reveals hidden truths about the past, as well as bringing about more hurt and fresh wounds. Frankie must make some big decisions to ensure the safety and future of both herself and her sister. Meanwhile, our narrator, a young ghost, has her own story to tell. As she zips around Chicago, observing Frankie, as well as other regulars on her rounds, she makes a ghost friend who helps her to come to terms with her violently tragic past. A story within a story, the ghost's past life is slowly revealed, this time during the previous world war, ending in a surprising demise.