The Year We Sailed the Sun

by Theresa Nelson

Orphaned Julia never expected to be sent away, especially not to the ill-named House of Mercy. But adventure awaits her in this historical journey, based on a true story.

“Go home,” eleven-year-old orphan Julia Delaney is told, but home for her is gone. Spirited and strong, Julia faces a cruel life at an orphanage—the House of Mercy—blistering cold winters, and countless disappointments. But not even hopeful Julia can imagine what awaits her in Montana—and with the help of a miracle or two, she sets the sun a-sailing.

Like the heroines of the beloved American Girls series, Julia’s journey paints a vivid picture of United States history. Based on the true story of a real girl, with additional details explained in an Author’s Note, The Year We Sailed the Sun is historical fiction at its best.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Fiction, Young Adult, Childrens, Historical, Novels

432 pages, Hardcover

First published November 4, 2014

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to read this book because the author's family history (well, her in-laws' family history, anyway) shares threads with mine. Like Julia Delaney, my grandfather spent some of his early life in St. Louis. His parents were Polish immigrants, not Irish, and as far as I know the street gangs weren't part of his life - he would have been too young for that, since by the 1940s the family had moved to Rhode Island - but Catholicism figured heavily in his upbringing, as it did in Julia's. So a great part of why I wanted to read this book had to do with the setting of 1917 St. Louis, and the strong sense of history that infuses the text.

And I liked the book, a lot! Julia, Mary, and Bill Delaney are orphans living with their aunt, who doesn't seem to want them around. Little to their surprise, she ships them off to live at orphanages in the city: Julia and Mary go with Sister Maclovius to the girls' orphanage, and Bill to the boys' orphanage with Father Dunne. Julia's not happy about this; she's closer to her older brother Bill than she is to Mary, and misses him desperately. Twice Mary and Julia attempt to run away, but they're thwarted quickly. Little do Mary and Julia know that Bill has gotten himself wrapped up in an Irish street gang with a friend from "the Patch," the Irish neighborhood where they lived before their parents died. As more and more of Julia's world crumbles, can she learn to let go of the past and embrace the opportunites that might come her way as part of living in the orphanage?

I'm torn about how to rate this one. On the one hand, it's wonderfully evocative and historically accurate, and I love Nelson's painstaking attention to detail. On the other, I really don't see many kids picking this up of their own accord. Clocking in at over 400 pages, it's an intimidating tome, and historical fiction isn't very popular at my library to begin with. The language is quite advanced and lyrical for children - I would almost be more inclined to offer it to young adults - and there are some instances of swearing that some parents of middle-grade children may not be comfortable with ("damn," "shite"). And yet, the ending lacks the emotional punch that I think Nelson wanted it to have, because we didn't see Miss Downey and Julia bond to the extent that Cora would want to adopt her. It just didn't read as very believable to me, since Julia never seemed that trusting of Miss Downey despite the fact that Miss Downey was very fond of her. I don't know that Julia would have agreed to the arrangement as quickly as she did.

I wish Nelson would have divided the book into two sections: one that condenses the events of the book into about 200 pages, and one that takes place after the book ends. I think kids would love to read about Julia's life in Montana with her new Aunt Cora, and about the trials and tribulations of fitting into a new adoptive family.

As the book is, and it being marketed to children, I can't give it more than three stars. If it were either marketed as YA or adult fiction, or changed so it would have more kid appeal, I could bump it up to four.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1912 11-year-old Julia Delaney flat out refuses to go to the nuns' orphan home and school. She knows it will mean separation from her beloved older brother Bill and possibly from her older sister Mary. She won't stay with mean old Aunt Gert in St. Louis either. She dreams of a farm, with a cow to make plenty of butter, milk and ice cream. The nuns prove to be as formidable as the notorious "businessman"/gangster, Thomas Egan. At the House of Mercy the girls are just as mean as Julia expected them to be and the nuns sometimes as tough as Julia herself. Sister Gabriel, a novice, is kind and comes from Julia's neighborhood. Their family stories are intertwined somehow and have something to do with Thomas Egan, the gangster who murdered Sister Gabriel's brother, the father of sweet Betty Brickey, Julia's only true friend. While Julia awaits a sign from her brother Bill that it's time to escape, she takes matters into her own hands the best she can, an 11 year old girl from the Kerry Patch in St. Louis.

This is a long book for a middle grades novel. (Thank you J.K. Rowling). Some of the subject matter and the heroine herself belong more in a young adult book, so word of warning for those who may pick this up for the under 13s in your life.

Julia's spunky personality is what makes her a great heroine. She's lively and feisty and sometimes uses words no proper young lady in 1911-1912 should hear, let alone use. I liked her a lot in spite of the language. How can I not love a heroine who bites a nun in the first scene? Julia's spunkiness gets her into trouble a lot but I admire her for trying hard to save her family and keep the remaining family members into trouble. I stayed up really late, even on a work night, to see what would happen to her next! I couldn't put the book down until my eyes were closing. Her adventures are lively though sometimes confusing. I found the writing style with the present intertwined with Julia's memories and dreams difficult to follow. I also had to go back and see how Julia was connected to some of the other characters because it isn't super clear in the beginning. It becomes more clear as the plot goes on and Julia unravels the mystery of her past.

I didn't really like Julia's siblings. Mary is your typical goody goody older sister, except for one scene when she betrayed how young and scared she really is. Bill makes some bad decisions that affect the entire remaining Delaney family as well as some of his friends. He's a caring older brother trying his hardest to let Julia be a child awhile longer. I tried to remember he was just a teenager and the decision making part of his brain wasn't fully developed yet. I can see why he would want to do what he did but I would have been very hurt if I were Julia and my brother affected my life like that.

The other kids from the Kerry Patch got mixed up in my mind. They sound the same and act the same. I had to go back and review who was who and who did what. They get mixed up in gang related activities. Thomas Egan seems to be a real life gangster/boss who terrorized and controlled the St. Louis riverfront area. He's a snake and mixed up in the plot though he doesn't appear very much on page. He is instrumental in the events that kick off the plot and make many of the characters end up where they do.

At the House of Mercy the girls are your stereotypical boarding school types, except for Betty. She's so sweet and loving but intellectually impaired. They say because her mother went crazy and Betty was born early but her moon face and loving nature imply she may have Down's Syndrome. Betty's aunt, Sister Gabriel, a novice nun is not cut out to be a nun. She'd make a wonderful mother. She's young and still retains some youthful personality traits. She doesn't encourage mischief but she can tell a funny story and she spoils Betty. Some of the other nuns are not stereotypically harsh and even Sister Maclovious has hidden depths that are revealed towards the end.

The final major character is Cora Downey. She is a very kind lady and her story really surprised me. I didn't expect her to be a real person because it all sounded so hokey!

I really enjoyed this story and would read more historical fiction by this author. I wish she knew more about her mother-in-law and the real life figures in the book to write a biography. The novel is really good but some elements are stereotypical of a middle grades/YA novel plot. It's too bad the real Julia never wrote down or told anyone the true story. It sounds like her past was too painful to bring up.

[Mom2nine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I made it through the first chapter, where the author found the need to put both "hell and damn" into a young child's mouth in 1912. My father said that if his father said "jumping fish hooks" it was considered profane. Not only do I not believe that a child that young, during that time period, would have used profanity so loosely, there is certainly no need for it in a book aimed at middle school children. Truly, does the author not have command of the English language that profanity is her fall back. no thanks

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this story immensely, so many great characters, well-rounded and realistic, a great setting with memorable characteristics, and an ever changing storyline that keeps you interested and immersed. I love reading the afterword as well, talking about how much of it was based on true events. Great weaving of fact and fiction!

[Larissa Weckesser · Rating 2 out of 5]

I shouldn’t have judged a book by its cover which is what I did for this book. I think this book could have more than what it was. The characters weren’t fleshed out and sometimes it was confusing keeping track of who was who. The plot also didn’t have time to develop and everything seemed rushed. I did enjoy that this was based on someone’s life.

[Anna Sobczak · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful,just beautiful......

[Mallory Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect book for kids who love an adventure

[Renn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it too much for words, I could never do this book justice anyway. This is probably my favorite book I've read this summer. It created a vision in my head not unlike a movie, with characters that feel so real to me. To describe it in one word, that word is beautiful.

But I do have a bone to pick with the description. The description on the inside cover did not accurately represent the book itself. It made Julia out to be some kind of Maniac Magee, always running, never stopping at one home for long. And it mentioned a scene that didn't come to pass until page 316! Sure Julia kept running away, but she always found herself back to the orphanage before even escaping city limits. Don't judge a book by its description, I always say. Though I was captivated by the book the same way I was captivated by the description.

[★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING BOOK! I expected this book to be weird and confusing, but was I in for a surprise!

As soon as I started reading, I was captivated by the well-written plot and eloquent details. Theresa Nelson writes in such a way that the characters come to live. I immediatley loved Julia and Betty. At first, I wasn't sure about Sister Bridget, the half-a-nun, but eventually I grew on her. And OBVIOUSLY I detested Thomas Egan.

Overall, this is a wonderful book and it has become one of my favorites.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Julia Delaney is an orphan. Her father, mother, two siblings and grandmother are all dead, and her mean Aunt Gert does not want to take care of her and her remaining brother and sister. At 14, brother Bill is old enough to strike out on his own, but the girls are sent to live at the local Catholic orphanage. Julia, to put it mildly, has anger issues, and she doesn't much care who knows it. Her anger keeps overcoming any sense of self-preservation she might have, and I felt like the rebelliousness was ladled on a bit thicker than it needed to be in the beginning of the book. Overall, though, this turned out to be a good old-fashioned orphan story with the requisite plucky heroine becoming involved in scrapes with blizzards and assorted bad guys, with an appropriately happy ending. The author based the story on incidents from her mother-in-laws's childhood.

[MNBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting story, but was very long and took quite a while to read out loud. There was a good amount of cursing in the story, which may or may not have added flavor to Julia's character. My daughter did enjoy this story quite a bit. I felt like the ending was a bit rushed, though. (Why was Julia so keen on leaving her sister and brother to go halfway across the country?!). I felt like I was missing something because up until that point she was dead set on finding her brother.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This could have been a good book. I wanted it to be a good book. It was too much of a struggle to read... I could not pay attention even with forcing myself to do so so I had no idea what was going on half the time or perhaps kept forgetting ? Anyways... This subject matter would normally hold my interest... But this time it did not.

[Lucy Halteman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fact based story of an orphan girl who goes, very much against her will, to an orphanage run by nuns is meant to be felt rather than understood. It's raw, somewhat crass, sometimes hard-to-follow plot gives it Frank McCourt vibes. It is considered youth fiction, but the obscurity of the plot makes me recommend for 15 or older to really understand it.

[Vidhya Karthik · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a long time, a book that I just couldn’t put down- I wanted to keep reading to find out what Julia Delaney would do next! ..( but, I am a sucker for early twentieth century stories! ). Kudos to the author for her research on the weather and gangs of early Missouri and how she interweaves fiction with real events!

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story here was pretty good, and I wanted to like it more than I did, but the pace of the book was too jarring. The first 275 pages or so are pretty slow, which is not typically a problem for me as long as the author keeps a steady pace, however, the last 25 pages or so wrapped the story up incredibly quickly, which just made the ending feel really rushed.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Well-written and intriguing story of an orphaned girl living in St. Louis in the early 20th century. The character of Julia has a strong voice and really comes alive; it's definitely her spunk and ferocity that carry the story. Entertaining historical fiction.

[Kim Gontarz]

Julia is lost. Her grandmother, mother, and father are all dead. Her brother is in jail and her sister in sent to a farm to care for children. Who will save her from the bad things of the world and give her a chance? Will Montana be the answer to her problems?

[Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could have been an interesting story about a young girl's drive for self-determination, but...the plot and dialog felt choppy and rushed. I gave up after about the first 40 pages.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book, unlike any other I had ever read! Julia is mischievous but has a great heart that shines once the reader reaches the midpoint of the book when the action really starts happening.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a girl who has to go to an orphanage. Her brother got in trouble and now a big man is after her and is angry.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vivid imagining, based on historical records, of life in 1910's St Louis Missouri, for Catholic orphans in the House of Mercy - Industrial School and Girls' Home. A compelling and heart-felt story.

[Lonna Pierce · Rating 2 out of 5]

Improbably named, this historical fiction, mid-grade novel takes place in dark, gritty St. Louis immigrant neighborhoods without much sun and with a great deal of snow. Newly orphaned, Mary & Julia Delaney are sent to the Industrial School and Girls' Home run by the Sisters of Mercy in 1911. Rival Irish gangs & hoodlums compete for dominance in the city, and a mysterious, unsolved murder is the backdrop for the story. There is indeed a "Julia Delaney Reel," and the plot & characters are based on real people & occurrences, but the sunny cover of prairie grass set me up for a very different book.

[Edie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweeping story of independence, courage and personal growth as Julia, "stuck" in an orphanage, comes to accept the kindness of others and learns some kindness herself. The setting is St Louis, a town ruled by a corrupt kingpin and there is a sense of injustice that permeates everyone's life Julia feels it keenly but learns other lessons as the book progresses. I read it almost in one sitting because I cared so deeply about Julia and i looked for a resolution that she deserved I was not disappointed.

[Virginia Walter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is the story of Julia Delaney -- 11-year-old orphan from the Kerry Patch of St. Louis -- and how she goes from the tough love of the nuns at the House of Mercy to a forever home with Miss Cora Downey in the wide-open spaces of Montana in 1912. It is a compelling narrative, told with vivid historical details and a heroine to cherish.

[Shauna · Rating 2 out of 5]

In an attempt to use the vernacular of the day, this book used the Lord's name in vain constantly. I edited it out as I read it aloud, but I wouldn't recommend it to others. Sallie liked the story, although I think much of the context was over her head (Irish gangs/mobsters and Catholic nuns in the 1940s).

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author did a stunning job putting me in a whole new time and place. This is great historical fiction, and I love how much real history she included. I think the cover is very misleading though! I was expecting some kind of western homesteading story. I was thrilled to find myself in 1911 St. Louis instead. Excellent!

[Mark Richards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why are there so many books about orphans? Julia is a troubled child who has difficulty recognizing when folks are trying to take care of her. The challenges she faces as she takes on the mob, the nuns, and her own demons make for a very good read.

[Marta-Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

A great tale about a spunky 11-year-old who is forced to live in a in a St. Louis orphanage during a time of extreme weather and gang rule in the city. While beautifully descriptive, I skimmed the text quite a bit so I could get on with the story and find out what happens.

[Sally Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story but I thought the main character Julia was a bit bratty rather than "spunky". It also seemed a bit wordy in some places. But overall a good story made more interesting because it is based on a real person.

[Jill CD · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very long book for middle students. I found it difficult to follow as there are so many characters and portions of the story seemed incomplete.