Graveyard Girl

by Anna Myers

It is 1878 and a yellow fever epidemic has turned the boisterous city of Memphis solemn and fearful. The fever has taken Eli's mother and sister and driven his grieving father away. All alone, he vows to harden his heart against further loss. Yet Eli is soon drawn to Grace, an angelic, otherworldly girl. People call her the Graveyard Girl, for she tolls the bell for each new dead soul at the cemetery. Sometimes it seems to Eli that Grace is the one good thing left in a city drowning in despair, and her kindness and warmth slowly begin to thaw his resolve. When Eli is sought out by Addie, a little girl even more vulnerable than himself, the Graveyard Girl urges him to let go of his own grief and open his heart to her. But even the Graveyard Girl may not be able to help when the ghosts of loved ones begin to visit Eli and Addie. Anna Myers's insight and warmth make Graveyard Girl a deeply moving portratit of three young people and their struggle to persevere in the face of tragedy.

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Childrens

128 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1995

Reviews

[Susanna Lancaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Graveyard Girl is an excellent children’s book of historical fiction. It reminds me of many of the classic Newberry Winning books I loved reading as a child. Anna Myers does a wonderful job handling a very dark time in history—the yellow fever epidemic in Memphis—and writes about it in a very poignant way for young readers. This book is a such a sweet story of loss, grief, kindness, and learning to love. I recommend this for readers of any age.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

read this with my daughter. we enjoyed the history and the unique ways each character spoke and carried themselves.

[Jada Cooper]

It is a little old for my taste but it is a good interesting book. The girl has seen so many dead bodies.

[Whitney Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book and a tear jerker. A Great glimpse into the past.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Juvenile Fiction Historical Event - the Yellow Fever Epedemic in Memphis TN. This is an endearing story of kindness and friendship amidst tragedy. It's an excellent portrayal of fever ravaged Memphis. There's even a little ghost story which makes it appealing to the 10-11 year old crowd. My daughter read it for an Historical Fiction Book Report (4th grade)and I read it out of curiosity. Even having grown up in Memphis I learned so much about this chapter in our history from this book. This epedemic is important to American History for social, political, and scientific reasons. I recommend it for older children and their parents.

[Kitty Tomlinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yellow fever epidemic in Memphis (1878). Eli, alone after his father skips out and the fever takes his mother and sister, is drawn to Grace, the Graveyard Girl. Beautiful period piece written for young readers bur can be appreciated by all. Well done.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this in about an hour. While it's certainly not the worst young adult book I've ever read, it is definitely not one that will appeal to everyone. It's dark and depressing, and written in such a way it may be hard to follow. I doubt I'll remember this for very long.

[Gabrielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring, but full of tradgedy