By Jennifer A. Nielsen
New York: Scholastic Press, 2026. Fiction. 293 pages.
Cora is a girl who lives in San Francisco in 1906. She is constantly fighting poverty and trying to support her mother and brothers while her father is away trying to make money for her family. And then one morning while Cora is heading to the docks to meet the ships (and see if her father has returned), there is an earthquake. A big one. One that creates a giant crack in the road that Cora and another girl, Zhi, fall into. Thus begins Cora’s struggle to survive the earthquake (and the accompanying fires that caused even more devastation than the original earthquake) and find her family.
This is a fast-paced story with loads of dangers and adventure. Cora is the type of character that will run headlong into danger if she thinks it will save those she loves. Plus, it is fascinating to read all about the crazy ideas that some of the city’s leaders had about creating more fires or blowing up buildings in order to save the rest of the city. Readers who love adventure with every page turn (and a solid dose of acknowledging that sometimes history has the most unbelievable adventures that real people lived through) will love this book.
Comments