Description
Perfect period fiction for middle-grade girls - for fans of the Our Australian Girl series.
It is 1900 and Dorothy and her family have just moved to a new house at 11 Ruby Road. Ruby Road is a busy street, bustling with activity - families and children, noisy carts and animals. The house is close enough to see the city and very different from the rural life Dorothy has known. Best of all it has a secret writing room that only she knows about!
Dorothy has big plans for her new neighbourhood - she wants to put on a play and write it herself! But there are other reasons for her family's move to the city and, as Dorothy starts to learn about her new house, she discovers more about the period of time she's growing up in.
Review
The centre point of the story is the house at 11 Ruby Road. The house belonged to Great Aunt Mildred, and Dorothy and her large family have just moved into it from the country.
The family quickly settle into the nighbourhood, as their house also doubles as a general store, so there are always people coming and going!
Dorothy is an inquisitive and determined girl, and she quickly makes friends with George, the son of the next door neighbour’s gardener. They love spending time together and, as they share a love of writing, they decide to write a play. But even though she loves to write, school is a disaster for Dorothy! Back in 1900, girls are supposed to learn all the skills at school that will make them a good housewife. But Dorothy has different ideas about how her future will pan out - there will be no getting married for her!
Dorothy soon learns that their move to the city was not just about taking over the store, but also to help a special cause that her mother and her Aunt (who Dorothy has always looked up to for her independence) are fighting for - the right for women to vote. Can Dorothy come up with a plan to help them with their cause?
This story gives us a wonderful insight into life in Australia in 1900. It highlights how different life really was—when children played and made their own fun; when there were no ’mod-cons’; when they learnt basic life skills— but also how different life was for women and migrants, during a time of immense inequality.
With historical facts at the back of the book, this is a fantastic read for all those in middle primary and up, and will be particularly adored by fans of historical fiction.
