From School Library Journal
Grade 4–6—In this first book in a projected series, orphan Hannah, 15, tries to find success as a scullery maid in an upscale Boston household at the end of the 19th century. In addition to having to learn new rules and skills, she must contend with the family's three daughters, including demanding Lila and her sinister cat. Hannah knows that she is different—she leaves salt in the bathtub, becomes physically ill when away from the sea, and seems to be shedding odd crystals. When a famous painter arrives to do a portrait of the three sisters, he immediately senses Hannah's secrets but will not give her answers. Because Lasky stretches the mystery of Hannah's nature throughout the book, her decision regarding where she belongs becomes rushed and anticlimactic. The heart of the story lies in the day-to-day activities of the Hawley household, especially the lengths the family and staff go to to appease Lila, and the destruction she causes whenever she does not get her way. The resolution of this story will appear weak to some readers, but many will identify with independent and winsome Hannah as she tries to find her place in the world.—
Jennifer Rothschild, Prince George's County Memorial Library System, Oxon Hill, MD END
Review
Orphan Hannah Albury, 15, the engagingly demure yet plucky heroine, has always been drawn to the ocean. Hired as scullery maid by the Hawleys, a wealthy Boston family, she embarks on a journey to understand and fulfill her destiny. Hannah is attracted to the family\u2019s mysterious porcelain vases depicting sea creatures and even more so to Mr. Wheeler, an artist hired to paint the three Hawley daughters. He in turn hungers for and recognizes in Hannah what she doesn\u2019t yet grasp. Meanwhile, the Hawleys\u2019 psychotic eldest daughter, Lila, and her demonic cat, Jade, see Hannah as a threat; as she deciphers the secret of her identity, Hannah must ward off their perhaps supernatural attacks. The novel, first in a projected series, at first offers its early-20th-century history lesson in overly painstaking detail, especially the domestic staff hierarchy. Once Lila, Jade and Mr. Wheeler show up, the plot becomes gripping. A good bet for upper middle-grade and early YA readers. (Fantasy. 12 & up)
Stricken by a mysterious malady when she is sent westward on an orphan train, 15-year-old Hannah instinctively knows that she can be cured by proximity to the ocean. She returns to Boston and takes a position as a scullery maid in a wealthy household, where a young artist comes to paint a portrait of her employers\u2019 three daughters. A mysterious, rather romantic figure, he seems to see into Hannah\u2019s soul. Slowly, she becomes aware that she is transforming into a daughter of the sea. The first book in a series about sisters separated at birth, this novel has menacing, almost gothic overtones as well as a strong sense of time, place, and class distinctions. Elements within the painting, which sounds similar to John Singer Sargent\u2019s Daughters of Edward Darley Boit, become pivotal points in the setting and the story. Nicely designed, this compelling novel has an attractive jacket illustration showing a rather modern-looking Hannah in her element, the sea.
— Carolyn Phelan, Booklist
