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  • The Truth about Sparrows by Marian Hale book cover
  • The Truth about Sparrows by Marian Hale book cover
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The Truth about Sparrows

by Marian Hale

A family’s search for stability during the Great Depression

$18.95 USD
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AlbakiReads Editorial

A family’s search for stability during the Great Depression

Set against drought and economic hardship in Depression-era Missouri and Texas, the novel centers on Sadie Wynn’s reluctant move with her family. Their new circumstances bring work at a cannery, strained encounters with neighbors, and a growing dependence on the kindness they find in the community. Sadie’s relationship with Dollie, an outspoken local girl, gives the story a personal thread alongside its larger concerns with displacement, family hardship, disability, and the meaning of home.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Young readers interested in historical fiction set during the Great Depression.
  • Readers who enjoy stories about family life, moving to a new place, and forming friendships.
  • Readers seeking fiction that addresses economic hardship and disability through a child’s experience.

Themes

The Great DepressionDisplacement and belongingFamily hardshipFriendship and neighborly kindnessDisability

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

"The Wynns are an unforgettable family. The details of their struggle to survive the Great Depression will linger long after the last page has been read."-Ann M. Martin, winner of the Newbery Honor for A Corner of the Universe

A stunning debut novel about
the true meaning of home

Sadie Wynn doesn't want a new life; her old one suits her just fine. But times are hard in drought-plagued Missouri, and Daddy thinks they'll be better off in Texas. Sadie hates this strange new place, where even children must work at the cannery to help make ends meet and people are rude to her disabled father.

Yet when trouble comes, it is the kindness of these new neighbors that helps the family make it through. And no one helps more than Dollie, a red-headed chatterbox of a girl who just might become a good friend-if Sadie gives her half a chance.

The Truth About Sparrows is a 2005 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

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