Sixteen-year-old Lorena Leland’s dreams of a rich and fulfilling life as a writer are dashed when the stock market crashes in 1929. Seven years into the Great Depression, Rena’s banker father has retreated into the bottle, her sister is married to a lazy charlatan and gambler, and Rena is an unemployed newspaper reporter. Eager for any writing job, Rena accepts a position interviewing former slaves for the Federal Writers’ Project. There, she meets Frankie Washington, a 101-year-old woman whose honest yet tragic past captivates Rena.
As Frankie recounts her life as a slave, Rena is horrified to learn of all the older woman has endured–especially because Rena’s ancestors owned slaves. While Frankie’s story challenges Rena’s preconceptions about slavery, it also connects the two women whose lives are otherwise separated by age, race, and circumstances. But will this bond of respect, admiration, and friendship be broken by a revelation neither woman sees coming?
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Sexual Content - 2/5
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Violence - 2/5
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Language - 0/5
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Drugs and Alcohol - 0/5
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Summary
From: Carol Pennington
Book Title: Under the Tulip Tree
Book Author: Michelle Shocklee
What do you like about this book:
Laura Leland’s life was dramatically changed on her sixteenth birthday when the stock market fell and her banker father lost everything. If not for the help provided by her maternal grandmother, they would have lost their family home as well. Seven years later Laura accepts a job with the Federal Writer’s Project interviewing former slaves to document their stories. Her life is again forever changed when her first interviewee captures her interest and her heart.
This is an amazing look into both life during The Great Depression and the life of slavery. You will not want to start reading this book in the evening or you will do as I did and be up most of the night to finish it because it is so compelling you want to put it down. There are two female protagonist in this book and they are both dynamic and will capture your heart. The story is extremely well written and is based on historical facts even though the characters are fictional.
I highly recommend this book to everyone who enjoys reading Historical Fiction. It is a clean book but there are episodes of violence and some adult situations given the nature of the story.