PRAIRIE LOTUS

Narrator Emily Woo Zeller's somber tone will help listeners imagine daily life for Asian people on the American frontier in this evocative story inspired by Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series. When 14-year-old Hanna arrives in the Dakota territory with her father to set up a dress goods shop, she hopes to formally graduate from school and become a dressmaker, like her late mother. But when the townspeople discover she is half-Chinese, their prejudice makes her life painfully difficult. Zeller portrays Hanna's strength and dignity as she faces microaggressions, peer exclusion, mocking, and a terrifying drunken assault. A respectful rendering of the Ihanktonwan women and a passionate author's note bring context and depth to the audiobook. S.C. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2020]