From the Publisher:
Coming of age amidst the seething unrest of the Civil War era, feisty fourteen-year-old Katie McCafferty infiltrates the Molly Maguires, a secret Irish organization, to rescue a lifelong friend. Under the guise of Dominick, a draft resister, Katie volunteers for a dangerous mission in hopes of preventing bloodshed. Katie risks job, family, and ultimately her very life to intervene. A series of tragedies challenge Katie's strength and ingenuity, and she faces a crisis of conscience. Can she balance her sense of justice with the law? Call Me Kate is suitable for readers from eleven to adult. The story is dramatic and adventuresome, yet expressive of daily life in the patches of the hard coal region during the Civil War era. This novel will appeal to readers of the Dear America series, as well as more mature readers who will enjoy the story's rich context and drama.
Call Me Kate: Meeting the Molly Maguires is a Mom’s Choice Awards® Silver Recipient
My review:
Call Me Kate
was very reminiscent of the American Girl tradition but brings some more mature themes to the table... Katie, as a character is typical of young women of the time - considering marriage and love and balancing that with taking care of her family and making her way in the world.I was fascinated by the historical context that Katie was placed in - it is an area of Civil War history that I knew very little about and the historical element kept me enthralled in the story as an adult. The perspective of Irish Catholic workers and their struggles both before and during the Civil War and the cast of characters made this book worth the read.
I would recommend this as a great Mother/daughter read because there's something in it on multiple levels.
About the author:
Molly Roe is the pen name of Mary Garrity Slaby, a veteran language arts & reading teacher at Lake-Lehman Junior Senior High School. Mary holds a Ph.D. in education from Temple University, and Pennsylvania teaching certification in six areas. She has pursued the hobby of genealogy for the past decade. Mary was born in Philadelphia, raised in Schuylkill County, and currently lives in Dallas, Pennsylvania with her husband, John. They are parents of two grown children, Melissa and John Garrett, cover illustrator of Call Me Kate. Digging into the past has given Mary newfound respect for her ancestors and a better understanding of history. Call Me Kate is the first in the author’s trilogy of historical novels loosely based on the lives of the strong women who preceded her.
Disclaimer: I was provided an e-book copy of Call Me Kate for the purpose of this review, I received no other compensation and all opinions are my own.
