Review: Brooklyn Rose - Ann Rinaldi

Brooklyn Rose by Ann Rinaldi

Genre: YA, historical fiction, romance

Published on January 1, 2005

Published by HMH Books

Pages: 219

Read From: 2.26.12 - 2.27.12

SYNOPSIS

It's 1900 - the dawn of a new century - and never in her wildest dreams did fifteen-year-old Rose Frampton think she'd leave behind her family arid home on the peaceful shores of her island plantation in South Carolina. . . .especially not to live with a new husband in the North. 

But she is doing just that. Rose's new life with her handsome and wealthy husband of Brooklyn, New York, is both scary and exciting. As mistress of his large Victorian estate on Dorchester Road, she must learn to make decisions, establish her independence, and run an efficient household. These tasks are difficult enough without the added complication that she and her new husband have known each other only a brief time. As romance blossoms and Rose begins to find her place, she discovers that true happiness is built not on what others can do for her but on finding the inner strength and courage to do for herself.

Review

This particular Ann Rinaldi book was fascinating in a different way from her others. It's a story about her grandparents, largely based in fact, like all of her books, the personal thoughts and feelings of characters being the only real thing that is fictional. Brooklyn Rose is a fast read, and an interesting one. But it is also hard to be entirely supportive of the romantic story because Rene is so massively older than Rose. He treats her like a young woman, but is always calling her "child." It's more than a little creepy; I don't care if it was okay back then. And I could not help but get a little irritated with Rose for not standing up for herself more. When Rene's mother comes into their house and takes over, pushing Rose to the side, I wanted to scream at Rose to take back the reins from the bossy old woman.

Still, I really enjoyed it for the most part.