3 stars
An interesting story centered around the Great Molasses Flood of 1919. This is the first book that I’ve read in the Girls Survive series and overall I enjoyed it. The writing is pretty simple and lacks some finesse, but I think it does a good job of making history appealing to young readers.
One aspect I did enjoy was that Gilbert incorporated what it was like for girls and women during the time period. Leah and Francesca have limited options and are expected to either get married and have children or work in a factory to take care of their family. This is an element that’s missing in other books on the topic written for kids (i.e. I Survived The Great Molasses Flood, 1919). This book focuses on the experiences of its girl characters and how they may have differed from boys at the time instead of presenting a generic story that could have been lived by girls or boys.
Overall, a good read. Includes an Author’s Note with additional historical information, discussion questions, and a glossary. I love the idea of this series and plan to read more of the books.