The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant
Addie Baum is the daughter of poor Russian immigrants that came to America in the early 1900s. The story starts in her early teenage years where as the third and youngest daughter, Addie has been privileged enough to attend the local public school, unlike her sisters that have been working in the factories since they came to America with their father.
Addie's mother has never accepted her new country and is constantly reminding everyone how much better their life was in Russia, which eventually drives her older sister out of the house to work in a department store downtown. To escape the constant turmoil in her home, Addie joins a Saturday book club, where she meets girls her own age who are Irish and Italian. When the girls start talking about their annual trip to Rockport Lodge, Addie knows her mother would never let her leave for a week to go "vacation" even if they could afford it, but Addie is determined to go. We follow Addie through her tumultuous twenties at a time when our country was evolving and exploring new roles for women.
This is a story of a young girl who aspires beyond what tradition dictates and longs to explore the world outside the limited scope in which her family exists. I enjoyed reading this story even though I felt like some of the characters could have been developed a little more.
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