Land of Forgotten Girls

Author: Erin Entrada Kelly http://www.erinentradakelly.com/
Publisher: Greenwilllow Books
Date of Publication: 2016
Illustrator: N/A
Genre Designation: Fiction
Lexile: 640L

LAND OF FORGOTTEN GIRLS

Summary:

This novel is about a young girl named Soledad (Sol). Sol's mother dies at an young age and she is left with her father. In addition to her father she has a sister named Ming. Her other sister Amelia died in a freak drowning accident that Sol blames herself for. Her father marries a women named Vea and they move to the United States. After a short time Sol's father returns to the Philippines with a promise to come back soon. Sol's father never returns and her step-mother Vea is left in charge of the two girls. Vea is physically and mentally abusive to the girls. Locking them closets, not feeding them properly, their clothes are ragged and making them kneel on cooked rice. While this is just a couple of examples there are many more. Sol's living circumstances are bleak, but she is find solace for short spurts of time in her imagination. There is another character in the story named Caroline. Caroline is someone that Sol and Manny bully by calling her names and throwing things at her. Eventually they become friends so it also show forgiveness even when people are not kind to you. This novel shows resilience and hope for the most desperate of situations. 

Target Audiences:

This book is geared for Middle School aged children and above. Some of the issues she faces are very mature. The message of resilience in this book could be lost could be lost on a younger student. She is forced to grow up quick to provide a safe place. 

Evaluation:

This novel tackles so many themes. We have bullying, abuse, young love, imagination, poverty, immigration, and death all in one novel. The depth and layers of this novel create the reading experience. The author uses strong descriptions to help you visualize the situation. She develops the characters so you really get to know them and root for them. From the first paragraph of the book you are vested and want to continue reading.