Synopses & Reviews
How could Lizzy Enders's father abandon her at a girls school run by nuns? She's surrounded by Catholics--but she's Methodist! Shunned by the other boarders, Lizzy befriends a wandering carpenter named José, who with just three tools--and unflagging faith--builds an elaborate spiral staircase in the new chapel in mere weeks. When he disappears without a trace, Lizzy realizes that the way she sees things is not always the way they are.
Inspired by the legend of the "miraculous" staircase in the Chapel of Loretto in Santa Fe, Ann Rinaldi skillfully blends the mystery surrounding the staircase's builder with the daily trials of a spunky thirteen-year-old girl growing up in the 1870s.
Review
"A must-read for those who enjoy historical fiction. Those who have not yet found a love for the genre will be pulled in by this one with its realistic mixture of action, adventure, romance, and scandalous family drama."Childrens Literature
Review
" . . . the family members are vividly portrayed individuals and their relationships are particularly well drawn. An epilogue, an authors note, and a bibliography conclude this thoroughly researched and enjoyable historical novel."--
Booklist"Claire comes across as a strong-willed individual who is not afraid to think for herself. A good choice for fans of historical fiction, particularly the Civil War era."--School Library Journal
Review
"Rinaldi delivers another winning historical novel."--
Publishers Weekly"Engrossing. . . . Thrumming with mini-adventures and vivid characters."--Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
Leigh Ann Conners is spunky and determined. Although she often finds herself in trouble, she loves her two older brothers dearly and would do anything to make them proud.
When the Yankees arrive in Roswell, Georgia, Leigh Ann places a French flag upon the familys mill. She hopes the Yankees will then spare the mill from destruction, but her actions have disastrous results. Sent north with the women and children who worked in the millall branded traitors for making fabric for Confederate uniformsLeigh Ann embarks on a journey that requires her to find her own inner strength. Only then will she be able to rise above the war raging around her.
Synopsis
Ann Rinaldi brings to life the exciting tale of a mysterious staircase built in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1878—a staircase that remains today a miraculous feat of construction.
Synopsis
Claire Louise Corbett and her Confederate family flee their home as Union soldiers shell their town of Vicksburg, Mississippi. They venture out from the safety of a cave only three times a day, when the Union army takes their meals at eight in the morning, noon, and eight at night. Although many of the townspeople suffer from a lack of food, the Corbetts receive extra rations from Claire Louise's brother, Landon, a doctor with the Union army. When Claire Louise discovers her brother tending to a Confederate soldier who is responsible for Robert E. Lee's "lost order" (causing the South to lose the Battle of Antietam), she is forced to make a difficult choice between family and friends.
Award-winning historical novelist Ann Rinaldi paints a story of family, courage, and secrets during the forty-seven-day siege of Vicksburg, a battle that has sometimes been ignored in history because it ended the same day as the Battle of Gettysburg.
Synopsis
Cornelia Greene is fed up with gossip about her mother. Caty Littlefield Greene was once a beautiful young bride who lifted the troops spirits at Valley Forge, but Cornelia knows that rumors of Catys past indiscretions hurt Nathanael Greene, Cornelias adored father. Yet Caty claims that shes just a flirt, and that flirting is a female necessitya womans only means of power.
Cornelias concern with her mothers reputation abruptly fades to the background when she learns that Nathanael Greene may not be her father. As she searches for the truth, she makes unexpected discoveries that lead her to a new understanding of love and family.
Synopsis
How could Lizzy Enders's father abandon her at a girls school run by nuns? She's surrounded by Catholics--but she's Methodist Shunned by the other boarders, Lizzy befriends a wandering carpenter named Jose, who with just three tools--and unflagging faith--builds an elaborate spiral staircase in the new chapel in mere weeks. When he disappears without a trace, Lizzy realizes that the way she sees things is not always the way they are.
Inspired by the legend of the miraculous staircase in the Chapel of Loretto in Santa Fe, Ann Rinaldi skillfully blends the mystery surrounding the staircase's builder with the daily trials of a spunky thirteen-year-old girl growing up in the 1870s.
About the Author
ANN RINALDI is an award-winning author best known for bringing history vividly to life. A self-made writer and newspaper columnist for twenty-one years, Ms. Rinaldi attributes her interest in history to her son, who enlisted her to take part in historical reenactments up and down the East Coast. She lives with her husband in central New Jersey.