
Having suffered abuse and misfortune for much of her life, a young child searches for a better life and finally gets a break in the home of a loving woman with several foster children.
Publisher:
Chapel Hill, N.C. : Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill ; Dallas, Tex. : Taylor Pub. Co., 1987.
Edition:
1st ed.
ISBN:
9780912697529
0912697520
0912697520
Branch Call Number:
Y/GIBB
Characteristics:
146 p. ; 19 cm.



Opinion
From the critics

Community Activity

Comment
Add a CommentJuly 12 2015......I read this book because I needed a book with a female heroine for the summer reading challenge. (and it was a short one!) I found the writing style a little hard to follow at first, but soon became accustomed to it. All in all, not a bad book.
A young girl from the Southern backwoods who is wise beyond her years is abused, neglected, and left to find refuge in a world of predatory adults. A heart-rending tale of courage, wit, and purpose.
bham2013
Powerful opening that grabs you immediately, this novel is told from the perspective of a 10 year old facing many adult challenges. While daunting, Ellen exercises considerable agency while maintaining a believeable voice.
Wow, what a book. At a whopping 126 pages, I wasn't sure it could pack much of a punch, but the ending really gets to you.
Written by Gibbons when she was 27, and perhaps based partially on her life, this is a coming of age story of 11 year old Ellen Foster. Ellen escapes difficult circumstances to find a loving home but this precocious girl is still emotionally damaged. Her voice is without self-pity and seems authentic.
Oprah's book club.