Fitzgerald, Laura Marx The
Gallery 321 pages. Dial Books for
Young Readers, 2016. $16.99. Mature
Content: G; Language: G (0 swears);
Violence: G.
Brooklyn, 1928: Martha O’Doyle is living with her mother and
brothers, and feels stifled by school and other responsibilities. An outspoken student, she pushes her teacher
too far one day with her “wonderings” and is thrown out of school as a
result. Her mother, head housekeeper in
a Manhattan mansion, takes Martha on as a maid in the household to teach her
what real work is like. Martha soon
learns that the lady of the house is mentally ill and displays acutely odd behaviors,
while the husband is doing all he can to restore her to health. Once Martha discovers there are messages
hidden in the art displayed in the gallery, she realizes nothing is as it seems
in the house.
This book moves quickly, and events are factually situated
in the historical context of the 1928-29.
Through Martha’s eyes, the reader is introduced to a number of
interesting artworks, politicians, authors, and concepts in the story in a very
natural way. Her questions about issues
and beliefs ring very true to our present state of affairs in the U.S. There was only one character I felt I did not
know enough about to behave as they did; otherwise, the development and actions
were all spot on.
EL, MS -
ESSENTIAL. Reviewer: JA, High School Librarian
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