This is my mg/tween historical fiction novel loosely based on my mother's life. It took a lot of research, but I learned so much about the time period the story takes place and about the Orphan Trains and the children that road them.
Here's the latest review.
Reviewed
by Lauren Davis for Readers' Favorite
Beverly Stowe
McClure’s story, A Family for Leona, is a poignant tale of adoption that is
sure to melt your heart. Eleven-year-old Leona Chapter and her five siblings
experience hardship and loss before ending up in the Brooklyn School and Home
for Destitute Children. One by one, the Chapter children are sent off in
different directions and we wonder if and when they will reunite. The setting
is the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries when trains carried
orphans from New York to Texas. Leona is forced to board that train, all the
while scheming for a way back to her family in New York. When Leona is selected
from the group of homeless children and she finds herself riding over flat land
in a Model T, the possibility of a return seems bleaker by the second, but
Leona is tenacious and hopeful about returning.
A Family for Leona is a story of hope and restoration geared to children and young teens. The adventures and trials Leona and her best friend, Noah, endure pull us into their plight and we cheer and ache with them. Their experiences from a tenement dwelling in Brooklyn to farm life in Texas are quirky, enchanting and ultimately satisfying. Beverly Stowe McClure’s emotional fictional narrative is beautifully written through the eyes of a stubborn adolescent girl with a penchant for increasing her vocabulary. With themes like new beginnings, friendship, love and family, I recommend A Family for Leona and rate this book 5 stars.
A Family for Leona is a story of hope and restoration geared to children and young teens. The adventures and trials Leona and her best friend, Noah, endure pull us into their plight and we cheer and ache with them. Their experiences from a tenement dwelling in Brooklyn to farm life in Texas are quirky, enchanting and ultimately satisfying. Beverly Stowe McClure’s emotional fictional narrative is beautifully written through the eyes of a stubborn adolescent girl with a penchant for increasing her vocabulary. With themes like new beginnings, friendship, love and family, I recommend A Family for Leona and rate this book 5 stars.
Now for my other children's birthdays in June.
Caves, Cannons, and Crinolines
This is another historical fiction novel set during the American Civil War in Vicksburg. When we visited the city and I heard about the citizens living in caves, I knew I had to write their story. The research was really interesting. I can not imagine living in a cave.
June 15, 2010
Happy Birthday, Lizzie!
###
Frankie's Perfect Home
A picture book for young readers about an armadillo searching for the perfect home. The idea for this story came to me when my son found a nest of baby armadillos in our pasture. Fascinating critters.
June 13, 2011
Happy Birthday, Frankie and brothers.
###
Life on Hold
A YA novel about a girl that learns a secret her parents have kept from her for 16 years.
June 20, 2013
Happy Birthday, Myra.
###
Princess Breeze
Tween/teen novel about a girl who sails to an island in the Pacific Ocean to visit the prince she met at school and his family.
June 11, 2017
Happy Birthday, Breeze.
My family is growing.
Happy Reading!
I hope your sister has a wonderful birthday, also your "Children's Birthdays " go with wonderful memories of writing about them.
ReplyDeleteHappy June Beverly.
Yvonne.
Thank you, Yvonne. I'll tell my sister what you said. Yes, it's fun to remember back to the old stories. Happy June to you.
DeleteGreat review.
ReplyDeleteYou've had a lot of books come out in June.
It made me smile, Alex. Always enjoy reading the good ones. Yes, June seems to be a popular month for me.
DeleteGreat review, Beverly. Congratulations. You are such a prolific writer. I loved your Caves, Cannons and Crinolines book.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Janet. I like it. I've been writing a long time, but lately I've slowed down. My current work is coming along a few pages at a time. Caves was so much fun to write. Thanks for your kind words.
DeleteGreat review indeed. June sure seems to be the go to release month for you.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Pat. I like it. I don't know why June is such a popular month for me. Not complaining.
DeleteThat's an awesome review. And funny about June being your release-your-books-month.
ReplyDeleteI like it, Natalie. Yes, I have no idea why June has been so popular. It's the way things turned out. The month doesn't matter to me, as long as the story is publisher. :)
Delete