In Ellen Foster, the title character is an 11-year-old orphan who refers to herself as "old Ellen," an appellation that is disturbingly apt. Ellen is an old woman in a child's body; her frail, unhappy mother dies, her abusive father alternately neglects her and makes advances on her, and she is shuttled from one uncaring relatives home to another before she finally takes matters into her own hands and finds herself a place to belong. Ellen is at the mercy of predatory adults, with only her own wit and courage--and the occasional kindness of others--to help her through. That she does, in fact, survive her childhood and even rise above it is the book's bittersweet victory.
I really enjoyed this book. The book is written through the eyes of a southern 11 year old, and the language of the book reflected this. Ellen's best friend is a poor black girl, but even though it's her friend, she still have an almost racist view of her friend. The book flip flops between Ellen's past and her present. I would recommend this book to just about anyone!
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