The Girl in the Torch
The Invention of Hugo Cabret meets True Grit in this heartfelt novel of resilience, hope, and discovering a family where you least expect it, from award-winning author Robert Sharenow.
At the dawn of the twentieth century, thousands of immigrants are arriving in the promised land of New York City. Twelve-year-old Sarah has always dreamed of America, a land of freedom and possibility. In her small village she stares at a postcard of the Statue of Liberty and imagines the Lady beckoning to her. When Sarah and her mother finally journey across the Atlantic, though, tragedy strikes – and Sarah finds herself being sent back before she even sets foot in the country.
Yet just as Sarah is ushered onto the boat that will send her away from the land of her dreams, she makes a life-or-death decision. She daringly jumps off the back of the boat and swims as hard as she can toward the Lady’s island and a new life.
Her leap of faith leads her to an unbelievable hiding place: the Statue of Liberty itself. Now Sarah must find a way to Manhattan while avoiding the night watchman and scavenging enough food to survive. When a surprising ally helps bring her to the city, Sarah finds herself facing new dangers and a life on her own. Will she ever find a true home in America?
Genre: Children’s Fiction
The Girl in the Torch by Robert Sharenow – book cover, description, publication history.
The Girl in the Torch
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The Girl in the Torch
- Review
When her father is killed in a Russian pogrom, 12 -year-old Sarah sails for America with her mother, gripping a postcard of the Statue of Liberty in her hand for courage. Tragically, her mother becomes ill and dies shortly after they arrive at Ellis Island. Sarah is put on a ship heading back to the old country. Impulsively, she jumps overboard and swims to Liberty Island, where she spends several days sleeping in Lady Liberty’s torch and dodging guards. She finally gets to the mainland, thanks to one of those guards — hard-drinking, disappointed-by-life Maryk, who brings Sarah to his Chinatown boarding house where she is taken under the wing of the formidable Mrs. Lee.
Before long, she begins to make a home for herself in the most unlikely of spots, with the most unlikely collection of diverse immigrants as her family. But it’s not that easy; there will be big hurdles to jump if Sarah wants to make a new life here. Perhaps a little too sweet in places and requiring the willing suspension of disbelief in others, the book nevertheless conveys the early twentieth century, lower Manhattan melting pot in all its big, messy glory. It will keep readers engrossed and turning the pages.
Recommended for ages 8 – 12 .
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The Girl in the Torch Purchasing through our affiliates helps support JBC. The Girl in the Torch Review When her father is killed in a Russian pogrom, 12 -year-old Sarah sails