Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Review: My Face to the Wind: The Diary of Sarah Jane Price, A Prairie Teacher (1881) by Jim Murphy (The Dear America Series)

Synopsis: Following her father's death from a disease that swept through her Nebraska town in 1881, teenage Sarah Jane must find work to support herself and records in her diary her experiences as a young school teacher. (from the online description)

Review: Written in the form of a diary, we follow Sarah Jane Price as she struggles to live after the sudden death of her father. Left alone in a small prairie town, Sarah Jane wonders about her future and what she will do to survive.
Despite her fear, she convinces the town to let her take over her father’s position at teaching. Although they lack belief in her ability because of age, they agree – but make it hard for her, providing her with almost no supplies and much less salary than they paid her father.
Both Sarah Jane and her story are fiction, but they are based on many small towns and small town teachers. There is an authenticity to the story – the struggles of the small town, the people, the hardship, the weather. With complex secondary characters, fast plot, and good action, this was an excellent read. I would recommend for school-age kids, particularly as part of educational program about the early settlers. 

Bookmarks: 3.5 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 0-590-43810-7
Year Published: 2001
Date Finished: 6-9-2018
Pages: 178

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