gileslibrarian6 's review for:

Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Ruby

5.0

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A gripping historical fiction novel taking place in Chicago ranging from pre-WW2, the war, and thereafter. Frankie and her siblings, Vito and Toni, live at the orphanage. Their mother is dead and their father can’t afford to take care of them. So the nuns do; offering refuge, food, education, and morality. There are many ghosts in Chicago whose stories are told and weaved throughout the nove; of Pearl and the golden girl who have endured their own suffering and wander the streets wondering if they will ever overcome it. Vito is sent off to war along with Frankie’s lover. Frankie and Toni are left behind as her father marries another; prioritizing her children over his own. Will Frankie fins peace in her life? Beautifully written and based on the author’s mother in law’s own experiences at an orphanage.