A Door Just Opened

by Dorothy Stephens

Thirteen-year-old Anna’s passionate dream is to go to high school, the first girl from her tiny farm community back in 1910 to do so. She is determined not to stay at home like her older sister, Mary Ellen, helping their mother and waiting to marry a local farmer. But there is no money to send her to River Heights, seven miles away, and anyway, her mother needs her. When sixteen-year-old Mary Ellen is sexually assaulted by a local boy, the situation gets worse. No one suspects Mary Ellen is pregnant until she gives birth to the illegitimate baby. The surprise birth threatens to ruin the family’s standing in the community and Mary Ellen’s reputation. Anna wrestles with helping her parents and sister while still striving to make her burning desire to go to high school a reality. Meanwhile she becomes involved in solving the mystery of a missing ring, and in stopping another attack by the boy who assaulted her sister. But how will that help her realize her dream?

124 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 25, 214

About the author

Dorothy Stephens is a freelance writer whose work has appeared over the past thirty years in numerous national magazines, newspapers, and journals. She was a finalist for the 1996 Bakeless Prize in Nonfiction and a Scholar at the 1997 Bread Loaf Writers Conference. Her books include a memoir, Kwa Heri Means Goodbye; Memories of Kenya 1957-1959;
A Door Just Opened, a YA novel; her new novel, Willow Run; and a 2nd memoir, Africa Calling Me Back, to be released soon. She lives with her neurotic cat Chitty in Massachusetts, where she enjoys walking the beach while seeking inspiration for her next book.

Reviews

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not the kind of book I would typically gravitate towards. Where's the vampires? No werewolves? Wait, it's set in the early 1900's and America? This is so not my kind of book.

That said, I really enjoyed this story. It's hard to believe there was a time when going to high school wasn't the norm, but that's what life was like and all 13 year old Anna wants to do is GO to high school! But, she lives with her family on a farm and the high school is too far away. She has a duty to her family to help out on the farm.

That's the main problem our heroine is trying to figure out. Meanwhile, her 16 year old sister has a baby out of wedlock and gets lost in a deep depression. Nobody knew she was pregnant, not even the sister. Their mother claims the baby as her own in an effort to save her daughters reputation. Anna also takes it upon herself to solve the mystery of a missing ring.

Without spoiling things, Anna has to be very brave in order for things to work out the way that they do. She's the kind of girl we should want our daughters to look up to. She's determined one way or another to reach her goals.

I think if you give this book a chance you won't be disappointed.



* DISCLAIMER: I do work for the company that published this book and I designed the cover, however my opinions are 100% my own and true.