Letters to Oma: A Young German Girl's Account of Her First Year in Texas, 1847 (Chaparral Books) [Paperback]

Marj Gurasich (Author)

Book Description

Series: Chaparral Books | Publication Date: January 1, 1989

After her family moves from Germany to Texas in 1847, fifteen-year-old Tina chronicles in letters to her grandmother their struggle to survive in a strange new place while preserving their traditional German ways.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 162 pages
• Publisher: Texas Christian University Press (January 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0875650376
• ISBN-13: 978-0875650371
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,434,100 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOnderful account of a piece of Texas' history., March 28, 1999

By 

Barbara Yerby "barbarayerby" (Decatur, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Letters to Oma: A Young German Girl's Account of Her First Year in Texas, 1847 (Chaparral Books) (Paperback)

This story, as told from the eyes of a young girl from Germany, gives a fairly accurate account of what life may have been like for a family immigrating to Texas in 1847. It is appropriate for all ages and backgrounds, but is particularly interesting to the Germans who established themselves in Texas. As I read it, I related to the language, customs, and locations presented in the story. I am eager for my father to read it. His mother might well have written the story herself.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Teen Historical Fiction, August 16, 2010

By 

Melissa McCauley (North Little Rock, AR) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Letters to Oma: A Young German Girl's Account of Her First Year in Texas, 1847 (Chaparral Books) (Paperback)

This novella follows the voyage of a young teenager and her family from Germany to Texas in 1847, and their first year of pioneer life. The story is told in third person fiction and letters that Tina writes to her grandmother (Oma) still in Germany.

This is a nice enough story and is informative about the history of German settlers in Texas, unfortunately, it pales in comparison to Ingalls The Complete Little House Nine-Book Set and I found it hard to identify with or care about the characters. But it could certainly hold its own against some of the American Girls books - this was published long before that series existed.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A fictional children's book., December 3, 2002

By 

Lance Hirsch (Bergheim, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Letters to Oma: A Young German Girl's Account of Her First Year in Texas, 1847 (Chaparral Books) (Paperback)

I was expecting actual letters and commentary. This is a book written not just at a young person's level, but also for young people. As an adult looking for serious information on the subject of German settlement of Texas in 1847 - I was dissapointed. Perhaps a simple label of "Fiction" would be nice.

Apart from that - the story is interesting and well written and I would recommend it to people of any age interested in this subject. Don't expect a scholarly account and hard facts, this is fiction but fun.