Product Description

In San Francisco at the turn of the century, the daughter of a traveling con man faces a moral dilemma when he cheats on a woman who has befriended her.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1838860 in Books
• Published on: 1997-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 158 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 6-8?Though the times are different, today's young readers will easily identify with Alexia Ellery Finsdale and her family problems. After a short diary entry, the girl's story unfolds. Readers learn that her mother has died and Alexia and her father are living in a boarding house where she is being taught how to sew. However, Mr. Finsdale is not only a con man, but a gambler and drinker as well, who has trouble holding down a job, and he is behind in the rent money. By the end of the novel, Alexia has some serious decisions to make. The setting and conversation give readers a glimpse into life in San Francisco, 1905; the mores and fashions of the times; and the suffragette movement. The opening and closing diary entries give a more in-depth look into Alexia's personal feelings than the rest of the story, which is a bit flat in characterization. Average fare for collections needing additional historical fiction.?Denise Furgione, Franklin Township Public Library, NJ
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Excellent book.
Another great American Diaries. Alexia, a 12 year old girl lives in 1905 San Francisco in a boarding house with her con-man father. He goes around cheating people out of their money and now his target is Alexia's true friend, Mrs. Tanner, the owner of the boarding house. Alexia has to stop this. But will she have the courage to do so?READ IT!

Great book!
This is a great book. It is about Alexia Ellery Finsdale. Alexia's father cheats people out of their money. His next target is the widow who runs the boardinghouse Alexia and her father are staying at. Can Alexia stop him from cheating her one true friend?

Surprisingly good!
As the American Diaries series progressed, I felt as if they were regressing in their style and interest. Then came this one. Reading the back it doesn't seem nearly as exciting as the others and can be mistaken for a sleeper. But it's actually the other way around. It was much better than those hugely descriptive action books in the series (except for Emma, that one was very good). Alexia is a character that you love. You connect with her more than many of the other Kathleen Duey characters. She wants to become a seamstress (ah-ha! Finally one with a dream!) and finally found a companion in the boarding house lady (who is also a seamstress). Her mother had died and she was constantly moving around. She loves her father very much and then faces a moral dilemma when he is going to try to swindle the seamstress. Finally, we come in touch with the character and sit on the edge of our seats... waiting to see what she will do! This is one of the best American Diaries books because of it's moral choices, not because of the so called action.