Sarah

Read the most by: boys and girls

A reissue of the 1949 American classic Sarah by Margueritte Harmon Bro. "Sarah will carry off all the romantics and bookworms who love a tale that enfolds them. Sarah is practically Russian in its complexity and scope compared with today's often simplistic plots. Sarah is the heroine, but Harmon Bro's society is a major player in the plot and texture of the novel: the tumultuous years from before the First World War to the early 1920s. Harmon Bro's prose is from another era too. No-nonsense and spare in some ways: -- The skirt frankly showed her ankles and an inch or two more. -- At other times, it's hilariously charming for an old crone reviewer, but probably riveting for intended readers. . . Harmon Bro's style should be part of young readers' experience. The story of Sarah growing from little girl to a woman is well worth telling. She grows up battling her conscience, beginning with her deceased father's wishes of what she should do with her life. Combined with life-and-death struggles for family and friends at home and at war, her experiences as a concert pianist for the troops in Europe and, later, conflicting pressures about her musical career, make this period piece altogether appropriate for eager readers today. -- The National Post