School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-After discovering that her parents have been intercepting letters from her disinherited older sister, 11-year-old Violet abandons her proper upbringing and runs away from home, determined to reconnect with Chloe. She travels by train to New York City but discovers Chloe has joined the National Woman's Party in Tennessee as the suffragettes lobby for women's right to vote. On her journey to Tennessee, Violet meets Myrtle, an African American orphan who is running away from a future as a maid. The girls, along with Chloe's friend Mr. Martin, make it to Tennessee and are caught up in the battle between the "Suffs" and the "Antis." Carla Mercer-Meyer's passionate narration captures Violet's struggle between the archaic values she was raised to respect and the new ideas she sees unfolding all around her. Although many historical figures and period details about Model Ts, Jim Crow laws, and Prohibition are included, the story's pacing never wavers. VERDICT This book will supplement units about government or women's suffrage, and Violet and Myrtle's fast-paced adventures will make it a winner with historical fiction fans. ["Illuminating a time period rarely featured in children's literature, this is a fresh choice for historical fiction fans": SLJ 3/1/08 review of the Random book.]-Anne Bozievich, Friendship Elementary School, Glen Rock, PA © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
A search for her older sister in Nashville brings eleven-year-old Violet Mayhew into the battle for women's right to vote. The diverse group of friends Violet meets ignites her interest in justice and equality. Intriguing details draw readers into this enlightening narrative set in the early 1900s, and appended historical notes give more information about voting rights for women and African Americans. Timeline. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Eleven-year-old Violet discovers to her outrage that her parents have been hiding letters sent to her by her much older sister, Chloe, who was cast out from the family for insisting that she wanted an education and a career, and for spending an inheritance earmarked for her hope chest on a Model T (christened The Hope Chest). Violet runs away to New York City in search of Chloe, but the information in the letters is out-of-date, and Chloe, now fighting for women's suffrage, has moved on. Violet teams up with Myrtle, an African-American orphan on the lam from a maid's school, and Mr. Martin, Chloe's friend, who's wanted by police for speaking out against the Great War; together they search for Chloe in the context of the Cause. Everything comes to a head in Nashville, where the suffragists' best hope for the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment depends on the votes of a very few potentially bribable men. Schwabach tackles issues of race, class and courage head-on while never letting the plot hesitate. A fascinating account of a rarely studied part of history. (historical notes, timeline) (Historical fiction. 8-12) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
