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A review by laflormorada
Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Ruby
5.0
This layered, poignant story is about two young girls: Frankie who is temporarily left in an orphanage with her sister in 1940's Chicago and Pearl, a ghost who can't quite remember who she is. Frankie's life has been traumatic, but is no different from the lives of the other girls and boys at The Guardians Catholic Orphanage (alive and dead). The nuns are strict if not cruel, the food is terrible and the place may be haunted but at least they have a roof over their heads. Then WWII begins and what little Frankie has slowly begins slipping away. Little does she know, there is someone who cares, someone who is watching, someone who knows her story.
This book, wow. It's just a must-read. I had no idea that Laura Ruby also wrote Bone Gap until I was halfway through this book, but now it all makes sense. Her books are so magical and eerie and powerful but still grounded in real life. It's hard to separate the "reality" from the magic because it all feels so true. I was completely immersed in this emotional story and all the stories within the story (often told by the ghosts). It's hard to even describe what this book is about because there's so much to it. It's just a snippet of two lives that were or could have been, but it's also a story about girls: their dreams, desires, hopes, sadness, realities and strength. All I can really say is that it was beautiful.
This book, wow. It's just a must-read. I had no idea that Laura Ruby also wrote Bone Gap until I was halfway through this book, but now it all makes sense. Her books are so magical and eerie and powerful but still grounded in real life. It's hard to separate the "reality" from the magic because it all feels so true. I was completely immersed in this emotional story and all the stories within the story (often told by the ghosts). It's hard to even describe what this book is about because there's so much to it. It's just a snippet of two lives that were or could have been, but it's also a story about girls: their dreams, desires, hopes, sadness, realities and strength. All I can really say is that it was beautiful.