Counting on Grace - by Elizabeth Winthrop (Paperback)

About the Book

Set in 1910 Vermont, this novel tells the story of 12-year-old Grace, who leaves school to work on the looms in the mill. Grace's life changes when famous reformer Lewis Hines arrives to photograph evidence of underage children working in the mills.

Book Synopsis

1910. Pownal, Vermont. At 12, Grace and her best friend Arthur must leave school and go to work as a "doffers" on their mothers' looms in the mill. Grace's mother is the best worker, fast and powerful, and Grace desperately wants to help her. But she's left handed and doffing is a right-handed job. Grace's every mistake costs her mother, and the family. She only feels capable on Sundays, when she and Arthur receive special lessons from their teacher. Together they write a secret letter to the Child Labor Board about underage children working in Pownal. A few weeks later a man with a camera shows up. It is the famous reformer Lewis Hine, undercover, collecting evidence for the Child Labor Board. Grace's brief acquaintance with Hine and the photos he takes of her are a gift that changes her sense of herself, her future, and her family's future.

Review Quotes

"History and fiction are woven seamlessly together in this beautifullywritten novel. Readers won't soon forget Grace." - School Library Journal, Starred"Vividly portrays mill life and four characters who resist its deadeningeffects. . . . Solid research and lively writing." - Kirkus Reviews"The child-labor story is gripping." - Booklist

About the Author

Elizabeth Winthrop is the highly acclaimed author of more than sixty books for children of all ages. She is the daughter of famed journalist and political analyst Stewart Alsop, and the great-grandniece of Theodore Roosevelt. Her works include Counting on Grace, The Castle in the Attic, and The Battle for the Castle.