Under the Tulip Tree -- Michelle Shocklee, Paperback

Sixteen-year-old Lorena Leland's dreams of a rich and fulfilling life as a writer are dashed when the stock market crashes in 1929. Seven years into the Great Depression, Rena's banker father has retreated into the bottle, her sister is married to a lazy charlatan and gambler, and Rena is an unemployed newspaper reporter. Eager for any writing job, Rena accepts a position interviewing former slaves for the Federal Writers' Project. There, she meets Frankie Washington, a 101-year-old woman whose honest yet tragic past captivates Rena.

As Frankie recounts her life as a slave, Rena is horrified to learn of all the older woman has endured--especially because Rena's ancestors owned slaves. While Frankie's story challenges Rena's preconceptions about slavery, it also connects the two women whose lives are otherwise separated by age, race, and circumstances. But will this bond of respect, admiration, and friendship be broken by a revelation neither woman sees coming?

Author: Michelle Shocklee
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Published: 09/08/2020
Pages: 400
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 8.10h x 5.40w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9781496446077

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 07/13/2020
Library Journal 09/01/2020 pg. 60