Brooklyn Rose [Hardcover]

Ann Rinaldi (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

It's 1900--the dawn of a new century--and never in her wildest dreams did fifteen-year-old Rose Frampton ever think she'd leave her family and home on the peaceful shores of her island plantation in South Carolina . . . especially not to live with a new husband in the land of the Yankees.

But she is doing just that. Rose's new life with her handsome and wealthy husband in Brooklyn, New York, is both scary and exciting. As mistress of the large Victorian estate on Dorchester Road, she must learn to make decisions, establish her independence, and run an efficient household. These tasks are difficult enough without the added complication of barely knowing her husband. As romance blossoms and Rose begins to find her place, she discovers that strength of character does not come easily but is essential for happiness.

Writing in diary form, Ann Rinaldi paints a sensual picture of time and place--and gives readers an intimate glimpse into the heart of a child as she becomes a woman.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Rinaldi describes the teen's first year of marriage with grace, tact, and sensitivity."--School Library Journal

"Fans of romance will be swept up."--Publishers Weekly

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

From the Inside Flap

"Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone lived in a house made of a strong Tabby foundation with a double piazza held up by great pillars and a front yard that sloped down to the water? If everyone cold hear the wind in the palmetto trees and taste the sand in their mouths when the wind blew? And what about the tides that flow toward land twice each day, then back out again?"

It's 1900--the dawn of a new century--and never in her wildest dreams did fifteen-year-old Rose Frampton ever think she'd leave behind her family and home on the peaceful shores of her island plantation in South Carolina...especially not to live with a new husband in the land of Yankees.
But she is doing just that. Rose's new life with her handsome and wealthy husband in Brooklyn, New York is both scary and exciting. As mistress of the large Victorian estate on Dorchester Road, she must learn to make decisions, establish her independence, and run an efficient household. These tasks are difficult enough without the added complication that she and her new husband barely know one another. As romance blossoms and Rose begins to find her place, she discovers that strength of character does not come easily but is essential for happiness.
Told in diary form, Ann Rinaldi paints a sensual picture of time and place as readers are given an intimate glimpse into the heart of a child as she grows to become a woman.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1 edition (January 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152051171
• ISBN-13: 978-0152051174
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,317,540 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

ANN RINALDI is an award-winning author best known for bringing history vividly to life. A self-made writer and newspaper columnist for twenty-one years, Ms. Rinaldi attributes her interest in history to her son, who enlisted her to take part in historical reenactments up and down the East Coast. She lives with her husband in central New Jersey.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another excellent historical novel for teens by Ann Rinaldi., December 26, 2004

By 

Rebecca Herman (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Brooklyn Rose (Hardcover)

When Rose Frampton begins a diary on her fifteenth birthday in December of 1899, she doesn't expect her life on a South Carolina plantation to change much, although she is excited about the approach of a new century. And she certainly doesn't expect to marry yet. But Rene Dumarest, a wealthy silk importer twice her age, proposes marriage -- and believing it will help her family's finances, Rose accepts. Now she must leave her home to travel north to Rene's home in Brooklyn. Rose must adjust to being mistress of her own home, to being a married woman, when in many ways she is still just a child.

This book is another excellent history novel by Ann Rinaldi, based on the life of her grandparents, Rose and Rene. Rose was an excellent character, and the author really showed how she was caught between girlhood and womanhood. I also loved how this book was written in the form of a diary. I highly recommend this book to Ann Rinaldi's fans, and to teen readers who historical fiction in diary form.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A really good read!, January 3, 2006

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brooklyn Rose (Hardcover)

What causes two people to fall in love? In Ann Rinaldi's Brooklyn Rose, a young girl living at the dawn of the 20th century searches for the answer to this question.

Rose Frampton, though only fifteen years old, must marry a wealthy New Yorker and leave her family home in South Carolina to live with him in Brooklyn. She shares her thoughts about love, life, and growing up in a series of diary entries.

Based loosely on the lives of the author's grandparents, Brooklyn Rose offers readers a glimpse into the heart of a girl on her journey to womanhood. All of the characters are well rounded and presented in a believable manner. Brooklyn Rose could easily be mistaken for a real journal.

Brooklyn Rose is a straightforward and uncomplicated read. Honest and introspective, the only potential fault with the book lies in its length. It is short, and ends on a somewhat inconclusive note. But the story itself is rich enough to compensate for this minor weakness.

Armchair Interviews says: Ultimately, this book is the perfect gift for any girl on the path to maturity. What makes people fall in love? This reviewer recommends a curious reader pick up Brooklyn Rose and find out for herself.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Engaging read!, February 16, 2005

By 

Tamela Mccann "taminator40" (Nashville, TN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Brooklyn Rose (Hardcover)

I enjoyed Brooklyn Rose quite a bit. I loved the premise that the characters were based on real people from Rinaldi's life, and I think she brought them out in believable, entertaining ways. Rose is a bright, charming young girl and I found her reasons for marrying to be forthright and true to life at the time. Comparing this book to earlier Rinaldi works, it's *almost* as good, but still lacking in that little extra spark which keeps me turning the pages feverishly. I can still recommend this one highly, however.