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American Girl: Marie-Grace and Cécile #5
Marie-Grace Makes a Difference
Marie-Grace is worried. Yellow fever is raging through New Orleans. The orphanage where she and Cécile have been volunteering is becoming crowded with children who have lost their parents to the dreadful disease. And now someone Marie-Grace cares about is terribly ill. When the chance comes to help, Marie-Grace takes it. She knows she can make a difference. But will this horrible fever cause Marie-Grace to lose the home and family she loves?
88 pages, Paperback
First published August 30, 2011
8 people are currently reading
468 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Masters Buckey
29 books47 followersSarah Masters Buckey was raised in New Jersey and lived in Texas for 15 years. Sarah was nominated for the Agatha Award in 2008 for A Thief in the Theater and in 2005 for The Curse of Ravenscourt. She was nominated for an Edgar Award in 2007 for The Stolen Sapphire.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
March 12, 2024
another banger!! these girls really go through it, damn!!
May 14, 2024
this epidemic!! I really do feel for Marie-Grace, but I just find her stories a little boring compared to Cecile--Cecile's got such a big family which makes for so many great side characters and interactions, where Marie-Grace kind of lacks that. I love seeing her at the orphanage though!
July 28, 2020
Just like Cecile, Marie-Grace only truly cares about the epidemic once it affects someone she is personally connected with. She helps this woman at the infirmary and stays with her for hours, but she doesn't do much at all to make a difference. She is only focused on that one person, can't really do much at all, and can only aid her through a plot point that is completely shallow and contrived.
She does contribute more broadly to society near the end, but that part of the story doesn't make sense at all.
Also, this book is very plodding and dull. I kept looking ahead to see how much was left, and it always amazed me how much of the story remained. I had the same experience with almost all of these books, but it was especially noticeable here, since the story was even more shapeless than some of the others, and just an episodic string of events. This is incredibly sub-par in comparison to other American Girl series, and I don't regret my decision to skip it when it came out.
She does contribute more broadly to society near the end, but that part of the story doesn't make sense at all.
Also, this book is very plodding and dull. I kept looking ahead to see how much was left, and it always amazed me how much of the story remained. I had the same experience with almost all of these books, but it was especially noticeable here, since the story was even more shapeless than some of the others, and just an episodic string of events. This is incredibly sub-par in comparison to other American Girl series, and I don't regret my decision to skip it when it came out.
November 27, 2021
The great AG marathon continues. Again, reading for the first time as an adult, inspired by the American Girls podcast. Here's what stood out to me:
If book 4 is the story of Armand's illness and recovery, book 5 is the story of Océane's illness and recovery. In both cases, the girls do a little nursing, some worrying, and a lot of witnessing events around them.
Hypothesis: One of the reasons this series doesn't work is that it isn't the girls' story - they are merely witnesses to history, playing bit roles in the larger story. Contrast, say, Felicity, who definitely is also witnessing history, but the plots center her in a way that these don't.
And if there's any doubt that Océane is the thread holding this book together, look at the timeline:
- At the orphanage, MG and Cécile discuss Océane and whether helping to plan her wedding will help her recover.
- When MG goes home, Uncle Luc comes looking for someone to help Océane; MG volunteers
- At the infirmary, MG sits with Océane, sings to her, and fetches ice chips.
- On the way home that night, Dr. Gardener announces that he's sending MG away to keep her safe. The very next day, she gets on the boat (and the right off again). We're up to page 57 of 72, and it's still the same day.
- Then we zoom through the six weeks MG lives at the orphanage - at the end of which she gets to go home AND Océane comes back from the country.
- The wedding is three days later. Curtain.
Another nitpick: I'm side-eyeing the speed with which Dr. Gardener tries to send MG away. We're told it's 9 p.m. as they're going home, and he says she's getting on a boat the next day. Wouldn't you want to wait a few days so you can let the Belle Chêniére relatives agree to host her - or at least know to expect her first??
But it isn't all bad:
- MG proves herself resourceful when she sits with Ocèeane. Although the work isn't hard in itself, it's clear the setting is stressful. And she manages to turn an awkward encounter with Lavinia into being one of the first people in the building to know about the ice delivery.
- I love the gentle way Cècile encourages MG to eat when she thinks she's too worried to be hungry.
- I like this as a depiction of music practice. We see MG practicing several times, and because it's sweet MG, she doesn't complain about having to practice. And it's not just presented as repetition - she has a specific challenge: supporting and holding a high note.
- I even like that we really don't get much description of the wedding other than MG's song. It absolutely feels true to performance nerves - the rest of the event can be a bit of a blur.
Because this one breaks all the formula rules for AG series, we don't have a holiday story or a birthday story, and school scenes are minimal. But this totally feels like a Saves the Day story.
If book 4 is the story of Armand's illness and recovery, book 5 is the story of Océane's illness and recovery. In both cases, the girls do a little nursing, some worrying, and a lot of witnessing events around them.
Hypothesis: One of the reasons this series doesn't work is that it isn't the girls' story - they are merely witnesses to history, playing bit roles in the larger story. Contrast, say, Felicity, who definitely is also witnessing history, but the plots center her in a way that these don't.
And if there's any doubt that Océane is the thread holding this book together, look at the timeline:
- At the orphanage, MG and Cécile discuss Océane and whether helping to plan her wedding will help her recover.
- When MG goes home, Uncle Luc comes looking for someone to help Océane; MG volunteers
- At the infirmary, MG sits with Océane, sings to her, and fetches ice chips.
- On the way home that night, Dr. Gardener announces that he's sending MG away to keep her safe. The very next day, she gets on the boat (and the right off again). We're up to page 57 of 72, and it's still the same day.
- Then we zoom through the six weeks MG lives at the orphanage - at the end of which she gets to go home AND Océane comes back from the country.
- The wedding is three days later. Curtain.
Another nitpick: I'm side-eyeing the speed with which Dr. Gardener tries to send MG away. We're told it's 9 p.m. as they're going home, and he says she's getting on a boat the next day. Wouldn't you want to wait a few days so you can let the Belle Chêniére relatives agree to host her - or at least know to expect her first??
But it isn't all bad:
- MG proves herself resourceful when she sits with Ocèeane. Although the work isn't hard in itself, it's clear the setting is stressful. And she manages to turn an awkward encounter with Lavinia into being one of the first people in the building to know about the ice delivery.
- I love the gentle way Cècile encourages MG to eat when she thinks she's too worried to be hungry.
- I like this as a depiction of music practice. We see MG practicing several times, and because it's sweet MG, she doesn't complain about having to practice. And it's not just presented as repetition - she has a specific challenge: supporting and holding a high note.
- I even like that we really don't get much description of the wedding other than MG's song. It absolutely feels true to performance nerves - the rest of the event can be a bit of a blur.
Because this one breaks all the formula rules for AG series, we don't have a holiday story or a birthday story, and school scenes are minimal. But this totally feels like a Saves the Day story.
November 15, 2024
a bit of a flop, unfortunately 3
I just, hm... I did not like the ending plot bit. I don't think it was unreasonable of her dad to want to
This is where I really felt the strain of the split format hit. If this was a 6 book series, maybe this plotpoint could have... actually mattered? And have consequences? Alas.
I just, hm... I did not like the ending plot bit. I don't think it was unreasonable of her dad to want to
This is where I really felt the strain of the split format hit. If this was a 6 book series, maybe this plotpoint could have... actually mattered? And have consequences? Alas.
December 20, 2025
I'm not especially familiar with the 1853 yellow fever epidemic, but it's impossible to read this and not think of 2020. I enjoyed seeing Marie-Grace take after her dad, though I think this was resolved a little quickly.
February 26, 2022
The plot is lacking. You'd think Madame Oceane is the main character, not Marie-Grace. The part about Papa sending her away seemed weird, and sending her to the orphanage instead even weirder. Marie-Grace is treated as an adult, she does the work of an adult or older teen especially at the orphange where there are probably other kids her age there. What about the orphans who are 9? Do they work as much as MG? Or is MG serving them from a more grown up position? Are there really only kids younger than that in this orphange? It seems weird to me compared to Nellie and her sisters experience of orphanges. For MG, the orphange is a bright happy place that she loves where she is treated as the Nun's favorite helper while her own home is dark and lonely. Whereas for Nellie the orphange was hell on earth. And going to the infirmary, I bet it wasn't as pretty as described given the nature of this disease and again MG seems more like an older teen than a child in her nurse role. Does she become a nurse during the Civil War? And I feel like MG copycats Samantha with the handsome uncle's wedding and the special role she plays in it. I feel like there's a very real possibility that MG could also live with her aunt and uncle like Samantha too given her father's tendancies to send her away. I would have loved to have seen her father get married instead of the uncle. Aunt Oceane feels like a real mother to MG whereas Aunt Cornelia was always very much distant respected aunt vibes. Overall, this book is better than Meet Marie-Grace but not as good as the baby Phillip book, in my opinion. And MG still lacks personality. She's just kinda eh.
November 17, 2019
In hindsight, I feel like the Marie-Grace & Cecile books are almost a pivot point to the more middle-grade books of Mary Ellen and Nanea where there's two much longer chapter books instead of the original six-book format with specific themes (meet! School! christmas! Birthday! Saves the day! Changes!). This is a continuation of the yellow fever epidemic story, with Marie-Grace doing her best to help watch over singing instructor Madame Oceane, but leaving a note saying M-G was at the infirmary causes her father to realize that maybe she should be sent away for safety.
A solution is found that keeps her in NOLA, though time is kinda skipped over quickly? She is helpful, though.
Ooof I hate to keep mentioning the art in my reviews on the M-G/Cecile books, but Madame Oceane's face in the last illustration/one that goes on the cover but uncropped is uh, kinda reminiscent of that monkey Jesus painting.
A solution is found that keeps her in NOLA, though time is kinda skipped over quickly? She is helpful, though.
Ooof I hate to keep mentioning the art in my reviews on the M-G/Cecile books, but Madame Oceane's face in the last illustration/one that goes on the cover but uncropped is uh, kinda reminiscent of that monkey Jesus painting.
September 23, 2022
As a little girl. I was opposed with American Girl. I still really enjoy the stories. American Girl really got me into reading. I started American Girl when I was 9. I loved them ever since.
March 28, 2022
This series of books is so startlingly different from prior series. Aside from breaking away from the original six book format, the main characters of the series don't always feel as if they are the girls. With prior books, I feel like, although there are serious historical events going on, they never prevent the girls from being kids.
In Molly's series, WWII is going on in the background, and Molly's life is impacted. Molly's dad is off at war, food is rationed, and there are times when things are different from what Molly is used to. But, Molly is still a kid and is shown being one. We see her hate turnips, spend time with friends, and have fun. With Felicity, the beginnings of the revolutionary war is going on in the background, but Felicity is still shirking her applesauce duties and sneaking off on a horse. They get to have kid adventures.
For Marie Grace and Cecile, the story is ultimately different. The first two books show them experiencing their world, going to a party, having a bit of fun, but after that the series becomes focused on yellow fever. Marie Grace doesn't have agency over her own story, and instead becomes the vehicle for while yellow fever tells its tale. She is shepherded around, ever in danger of getting sick, but forced to constantly be in the line of danger in order to save everyone else. The only time we see her being a kid is only when she is treated as one by her father, who realizes "Hey, my daughter is ten in a disease ridden city. Maybe I should take measures to keep her safe." And then there's this awkward on the boat off the boat shuffle that served no purpose.
In Cecile's books, there seem to be more hints of her still being a kid. She shows more independence and personality, which I appreciate. In general, I wish both girls had been given a fair shake with a six book series.
In Molly's series, WWII is going on in the background, and Molly's life is impacted. Molly's dad is off at war, food is rationed, and there are times when things are different from what Molly is used to. But, Molly is still a kid and is shown being one. We see her hate turnips, spend time with friends, and have fun. With Felicity, the beginnings of the revolutionary war is going on in the background, but Felicity is still shirking her applesauce duties and sneaking off on a horse. They get to have kid adventures.
For Marie Grace and Cecile, the story is ultimately different. The first two books show them experiencing their world, going to a party, having a bit of fun, but after that the series becomes focused on yellow fever. Marie Grace doesn't have agency over her own story, and instead becomes the vehicle for while yellow fever tells its tale. She is shepherded around, ever in danger of getting sick, but forced to constantly be in the line of danger in order to save everyone else. The only time we see her being a kid is only when she is treated as one by her father, who realizes "Hey, my daughter is ten in a disease ridden city. Maybe I should take measures to keep her safe." And then there's this awkward on the boat off the boat shuffle that served no purpose.
In Cecile's books, there seem to be more hints of her still being a kid. She shows more independence and personality, which I appreciate. In general, I wish both girls had been given a fair shake with a six book series.
December 3, 2021
An interesting book to read as we are in the middle of our own epidemic. A teaching moment for kids at this time. I think the author did a good job of showing how overwhelming it was to treat so many sick people at one time. Kind of how our hospitals and their staff have been overwhelmed by COVID patients during the past year and a half. The portion in the back of the book also touches on the spreading of diseases back in the early to mid 1800s before people realized how germs were spread.
December 18, 2023
Marie-Grace is being sent away by her father. She wants to stay in New Orleans and help with the sick. Marie-Grace and Cecile devise a plan to help with the orphans. They go every day to help entertain the children. Marie-Grace even starts staying there to help her father keep their home okay. Soon the Yellow Fever starts to wane and the city returns to life. This series started slowly, but the last few books have shown the girls' character and bravery. I have truly enjoyed getting to know these girls and I can't wait to read the final book in this series.
September 3, 2022
This is the last book with Marie-Grace as a headliner and it leaves me at a loss at who she is. Marie-Grace seems best defined by the people she is trying to please, if only an adult might take notice of her. She's a background character in her own story. Maybe this series is more about a summer than one or two girls. I just feel sad for her. I hope to see more of a feature of this character in the last book but I have a feeling she'll just be there hoping a for literally any adult to notice her just for a moment. At the very least, this book wasn't as tragic as the last one but it left me wondering where the story has to go.
August 21, 2020
Finally found this one. The last of the series for me to read. I go back and forth. It was a good story. Seemed a little simplified, but I guess that can go with the title. Even small things you do can make a difference and contribute to positive outcomes.
October 29, 2020
So this one has enough plot, but it's not very well managed. For example, Mlle Océan's possible death should probably be a bigger crisis than M-G maybe having to leave NOLA. All in all, M-G's books are stronger and have more developed supporting characters than Cécile's. One book to go!
March 9, 2022
To quote the youths, I was "triggered" repeatedly throughout this book, especially in the Peek into the Past where it stated "In the US, today there are fewer diseases likely to become epidemics"...or so we thought.
October 10, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up. I miss the old format of Meet, School, Holiday, Birthday, Summer, Changes/Winter. I did learn a bit more about the yellow fever epidemic of 1854 but I don't really care much about these characters.
May 6, 2025
3.75 stars. Stories are flowing much better now! I like what they’re attempting in these stories, but also feel like I’m missing out by only have three stories based on each girl! I don’t feel like I’m getting as much time with them as other AG characters!
March 16, 2017
See the first book in the series for a full review.
February 13, 2021
TW: story centers around a yellow fever epidemic
October 19, 2023
A few small inaccuracies in the historical note.
Read
March 8, 2025ok i have DEFINITELY read this before
March 26, 2025
We see Marie-Grace step up in nursing and childcare in this book at such a young age. She is really brave in the face of fear.
August 1, 2025
hard to get through buy quick read.
March 8, 2025
📱
I thought this was another cute story. While I'm not sure how I feel about having to main characters, I have enjoyed this series overall.
I thought this was another cute story. While I'm not sure how I feel about having to main characters, I have enjoyed this series overall.
December 28, 2025
main character moment
January 28, 2012
another problematic book in which someone close to the main character comes down with yellow fever, which pushes the main character over the edge into giving a shit about the epidemic. in this book, it's marie-grace's music teacher, madamoiselle oceane. marie-grace is particularly distressed because madamoiselle oceane & marie-grace's uncle are in love & planning to get married. marie-grace is excited to be able to start calling her teacher "aunt oceane".
but unfortunately, mme oceane gets sick & is taken to an infirmary. marie-grace's uncle isn't allowed to attend to her because only girls & women are allowed inside. marie-grace is all, "oh no! who will take care of mme oceane? if only we knew a girl or woman who wasn't up to anything important right now!" this goes on for quite some time before marie-grace is all, "wait! I'm a girl! i'll attend to her!" & so she does. this mainly consists of giving mme oceane ice chips. it's worth noting that marie-grace bumps into the snooty rich girl with whom she attends school, who explains that one of her little siblings got yellow fever & her mother promised god that if the baby recovered, they would donate supplies to the infirmaries. the baby got better, so the snooty rich girl is there to donate ice. this is the ONLY reason marie-grace knows there is ice on the premises. when she asks the nurse for ice, the nurse says there isn't any. marie-grace goes to the lobby & finds the ice stuffed in a corner somewhere & brings some to mme oceane. which means that everyone else in the infirmary is suffering without ice, possibly without proper hydration, & possibly dying because of mismanagement at the infrmary & marie-grace does nothing to address the problem because she's in such a rush to get some ice chips back to mme oceane.
um, marie-grace could have made WAY MORE of a difference from where i sit.
anyway, marie-grace's ministrations, which last for all of about five hours, bring mme oceane back to health, but dr. gardner freaks & wants to send marie-grace to the country to live with her cousins to wait out the epidemic. at the last second, he arranged for her to live at the orphanage instead so she can help take care of the gazillions of new orphans showing up there every day--kids whose parents died of yellow fever. i fail to see how living at the orphanage attending to children who lived in homes infected by yellow fever is going to keep amrie-grace safe from the fever. i also fail to see how it's a victory for marie-grace to be essentially pressed into the role of orphanage matron at the tender age of ten years old, or why she can't help with the kids & still live at home.
one book to go! i'll be relieved to be done with this series.
but unfortunately, mme oceane gets sick & is taken to an infirmary. marie-grace's uncle isn't allowed to attend to her because only girls & women are allowed inside. marie-grace is all, "oh no! who will take care of mme oceane? if only we knew a girl or woman who wasn't up to anything important right now!" this goes on for quite some time before marie-grace is all, "wait! I'm a girl! i'll attend to her!" & so she does. this mainly consists of giving mme oceane ice chips. it's worth noting that marie-grace bumps into the snooty rich girl with whom she attends school, who explains that one of her little siblings got yellow fever & her mother promised god that if the baby recovered, they would donate supplies to the infirmaries. the baby got better, so the snooty rich girl is there to donate ice. this is the ONLY reason marie-grace knows there is ice on the premises. when she asks the nurse for ice, the nurse says there isn't any. marie-grace goes to the lobby & finds the ice stuffed in a corner somewhere & brings some to mme oceane. which means that everyone else in the infirmary is suffering without ice, possibly without proper hydration, & possibly dying because of mismanagement at the infrmary & marie-grace does nothing to address the problem because she's in such a rush to get some ice chips back to mme oceane.
um, marie-grace could have made WAY MORE of a difference from where i sit.
anyway, marie-grace's ministrations, which last for all of about five hours, bring mme oceane back to health, but dr. gardner freaks & wants to send marie-grace to the country to live with her cousins to wait out the epidemic. at the last second, he arranged for her to live at the orphanage instead so she can help take care of the gazillions of new orphans showing up there every day--kids whose parents died of yellow fever. i fail to see how living at the orphanage attending to children who lived in homes infected by yellow fever is going to keep amrie-grace safe from the fever. i also fail to see how it's a victory for marie-grace to be essentially pressed into the role of orphanage matron at the tender age of ten years old, or why she can't help with the kids & still live at home.
one book to go! i'll be relieved to be done with this series.
September 17, 2024
There comes a point in the Marie-Grace & Cecile series where it is entirely about yellow fever. This book is essentially a repeat of the last one, with Marie-Grace tending to Mademoiselle Oceane in the infirmary (like Cecile attending to her brother at home.) I will say there was a bit more history in this book in terms of how patients were cared for, and it was a lot less melodramatic, which was a plus. However, the plot was still pretty lame considering that all Marie-Grace does is a) tend to the sick, and b) help out in the orphanage as she's been doing since book #3.
There is a brief subplot in which Marie-Grace almost gets sent away. Her father is misled to believe she is sick, which somehow causes him to decide that she needs to go live with a relative who has time to take care of her (their housekeeper quit, so she's been on her own.) Which begs the question, does it take very long to hire a new housekeeper? I would assume the answer is no, since Dr. Gardner has accomplished this by the end of the book. And since Marie-Grace has already had yellow fever, there's no threat of her catching it. So I really don't know why he feels the need to send her far away before finding another solution.
The upshot of the situation is that Marie-Grace goes to live at the orphanage for a while, where she continues to help the children around the clock. Okay...I know it was a different time, that children may have been given more responsibility in things like caring for younger children, but Marie-Grace is still only ten years old. Am I supposed to believe she is really so skilled at childcare as the adults who work there? Do the nuns really not see her as another child on their hands, even if she does assist them? She was already spending most of her time there anyways, but now the nuns have to take near full responsibility for her. It is also strange that all of the children we see at the orphanage are very little. It kind of solidifies the feeling that Marie-Grace does not come across as a child protagonist.
The book ends with Mademoiselle Oceane (I'm sorry but I hate this lady's name, it breaks up the flow of the text every time) and Uncle Luc getting married, two characters I don't really care about. Marie-Grace sings a song at their wedding, I suppose to demonstrate that she has overcome some of her shyness. I'm not quite sure what caused that to happen, but okey dokey.
The Looking Back section about medicine was fascinating.
There is a brief subplot in which Marie-Grace almost gets sent away. Her father is misled to believe she is sick, which somehow causes him to decide that she needs to go live with a relative who has time to take care of her (their housekeeper quit, so she's been on her own.) Which begs the question, does it take very long to hire a new housekeeper? I would assume the answer is no, since Dr. Gardner has accomplished this by the end of the book. And since Marie-Grace has already had yellow fever, there's no threat of her catching it. So I really don't know why he feels the need to send her far away before finding another solution.
The upshot of the situation is that Marie-Grace goes to live at the orphanage for a while, where she continues to help the children around the clock. Okay...I know it was a different time, that children may have been given more responsibility in things like caring for younger children, but Marie-Grace is still only ten years old. Am I supposed to believe she is really so skilled at childcare as the adults who work there? Do the nuns really not see her as another child on their hands, even if she does assist them? She was already spending most of her time there anyways, but now the nuns have to take near full responsibility for her. It is also strange that all of the children we see at the orphanage are very little. It kind of solidifies the feeling that Marie-Grace does not come across as a child protagonist.
The book ends with Mademoiselle Oceane (I'm sorry but I hate this lady's name, it breaks up the flow of the text every time) and Uncle Luc getting married, two characters I don't really care about. Marie-Grace sings a song at their wedding, I suppose to demonstrate that she has overcome some of her shyness. I'm not quite sure what caused that to happen, but okey dokey.
The Looking Back section about medicine was fascinating.
March 16, 2025
3 stars
We continue to see Marie-Grace’s desire to help and care for others in this story, as someone very close to her family falls ill.
We continue to see Marie-Grace’s desire to help and care for others in this story, as someone very close to her family falls ill.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews