Last of the Name by Rosanne Perry - OPTIONAL

Last of the Name by Rosanne Perry , 322 pages.  Carolrhoda (Lerner), 2019.  $18.

Language: G (2 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (rioting and implied beatings)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

When their Grandmother dies on the ship on the way to America in 1863, Kathleen and Daniel are the only two left of their whole family.  Kathleen is desperate to keep Daniel out of the hands of the recruiters for the Army, which is fighting the Civil War in the South, and she needs to keep both of them off the streets.  Luckily she finds a place as a housemaid, but she can only bring her “sister” as a cook’s helper.  Danny is disgusted by the ruse, especially when the mistress of the house hears his singing and insists that “Mary” be a star of her upcoming musical evening.  As preparations continue, no one knows the wild days that are coming as Irish community becomes angry about the large proportion of them who are having their names dawn in the draft, because they can’t afford to buy their way out, like the rich, and Irish lives don’t seem to be worth as much as a black.

This is only the third novel I have seen about the New York Draft riots (Isabelle Holland’s Behind the Lines and Walter Dean Myers Riot).  The tale is told from the point of view of Irish Americans, which I liked, especially since Irish and Catholics were not really “accepted” until JFK won the presidency – another 100 years later. Neither the title nor the cover will help this find readers, though.  

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS