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A City Tossed And Broken: The Diary Of Minnie Bonner, San Francisco, California, 1906 (2013)

by Judy Blundell(Favorite Author)

3.71 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0545310229 (ISBN13: 9780545310222)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Scholastic

review 1: This one was...weird. I'm used to the Dear America books from my childhood, which were usually less about adventure and more about history. It seems like most of the books in the relaunch are the opposite. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing, but it doesn't seem to fit the formula for me.The earthquake that sparks most of the latter part of the story seems to be well researched, at least, but the story itself is just strange for a Dear America novel. I'm giving it three stars because if viewed as a diary-form novel and not specifically a Dear America one, it is an entertaining story. As realistic historical fiction, it seems a little far-fetched and not about an accessible, normal girl that the old books were about. Mostly, it's a story of mistaken identity, leading... more to Minnie's reluctant participation in a con game that is resolved all too quickly in the end. The setup in the main story for the romance in the epilogue is a little strange, as well, in that it doesn't seem likely that things would progress in that way nine years later, but I suppose it's possible in the way a normal girl being mistaken for heiress and being drawn into a criminal plot is possible. Basically, it's a decent book, even if it's not what I've come to expect from this series up to this point.
review 2: This title in the “Dear America” series recounts the devastation of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake through the diary of Minnie Bonner, a practical and perceptive fourteen-year-old lady’s maid. Only days before in Philadelphia, Minnie had been sold into servitude by her mother as payment for her father’s debts. The pretentious Sump family, for whom Minnie now works, has grand plans for their relocation to San Francisco, but Minnie discovers a dark secret about her employer. When the earthquake hits, Minnie is distressed to discover that she is the sole survivor in the grand house. She finds a bag filled with cash and a ledger that reveals Mr. Sump’s corruption. When Mr. Sump’s lawyer arrives to check on the family, he mistakenly believes that Minnie is the Sump’s daughter, Lily, and Minnie continues the deception. Then follows a series of events and encounters with a con man that causes Minnie to question her values and integrity. However, a chance reunion with her beloved but distant father forces Minnie to make difficult choices in order to set her life right again. The elements of fiction and historical facts are woven seamlessly into this fast-paced read. The descriptions of the devastated city and its traumatized inhabitants are spot-on. The diary entries concerning the earthquake and the devastating fires that followed are spellbinding and emotional. This engrossing and informative work of historical fiction is a must for any library. Back matter includes an epilogue of Minnie’s life after the quake. “Historical Note” pages add ample background information and archival photographs of the earthquake and its aftermath. The title would be a worthwhile supplement to social studies enrichment activities. less

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