Prairie Lotus, by Linda Sue Park

Prairie Lotus is the latest offering by Park, author of A Single Shard - Newbery winner and one of my all-time favorite books! Her writing is not action-oriented, so at times it may seem slow or plodding if you aren't used to her style. But I enjoy her work a lot! Her characters are always very well developed, and the stories she tells are deep, thorough, and interesting. I was excited when I saw this new release, and it's a pretty quick read!

Prairie is the story of Hannah, a half Chinese/half White girl living with her father in 1880s North America. They arrive in a town in South Dakota, one of many places they have lived, and through Hannah, Park tells of many of her own experiences growing up Asian in the United States. Set in the 1880s the bigotry Hannah faces takes many forms and comes from many people - not unlike the modern day, according to Park, and perhaps not very surprising to many of you. Hannah shows a lot of courage and growth as well as anger and sadness at what she experiences, as any of us would. Prairie is a wonderful story of late 1800s American expansion, our collision with native Americans then, and the ongoing trouble we, as a country, have reaching the "liberty and justice for all" that our nation aspires to. Park writes in her Author Notes of the influence the Little House on the Prairie books had on her as a young person, and how she has always wanted to tell a different version of that idealized prairie life, from the point of view of someone beside a White girl in a White family.  Prairie Lotus is a good, steady story that I recommend! 4 paws!

https://lindasuepark.com/