The Ornament Tree

Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: I found The Ornament Tree to be a very moving book, full of power. Bonnie has just moved into her aunt's boarding house and begins a new life. She meets her cousin Clare who is stubborn and moody. Her aunts teach her a lot, they represent the coming of age women in a Victorian Society. One boarder develops a special relationship with Bonnie. This is Mr. Younger who was blinded in the Great War. He often is mean to the other boarders and seems selfish because he is so full of bitterness. Despite all this he loves Bonnie and encourages her to fufill her dreams. However this also means giving her up. The ending of this story breaks my heart and I cry everytime I read it. This is a wonderful book that I would recommend to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: An enjoyable book about Bonnie, who adapts to city life.
Review: Life on the farm just wasn't right for Bonnie, especially living with Aunt Suze. So when Bonnie hears from her other Aunt, she leaps on the chance to go to a private school in a city! When she gets there, she's unprepared for living with borders, especially the new blind man that just moved in. In the midst of dealing with civil wars, and school, Bonnie still creates time to live, love, learn, and grow. I enjoyed this book, and can understand why Jean Thesman received her award for Young Adult Book Award. I especially enjoyed the characters and their realistic portrayal. The plot was unpredictable, and if I didn't know any better, I would have thought that this book would become the start of a series. I would recommend this book to people of all ages.

Rating:
Summary: The Ornament Tree is a good lesson in the history of Seattle
Review: The Ornament Tree was my first Thesman book, and I enjoyed the comfortable way that I met Bonnie and her zany aunts, Mr. Younger, and the rest of the boarders. I especially enjoyed the regular meals - they made me hungry! The view of Seattle with its labor strikes, the deadly Spanish flu, and the Women's Rights issues made for a lively read. The men in the story strengthened the most important issue for me: the lack of any legal status for women at that time. If you're interested in the history of women's rights, this is a good fictional account.