Prairie Lotus

Prairie Lotus is a powerful, touching, multilayered novel about a girl determined to fit in and realize her dreams: getting an education, becoming a dressmaker in her father’s shop, and making at least one friend.

Acclaimed, award-winning author Linda Sue Park has placed a young half-Asian girl, Hanna, in a small town in America’s heartland, in 1880. Hanna’s adjustment to her new surroundings, which primarily means negotiating the townspeople’s almost unanimous prejudice against Asians, is at the heart of the story.

Narrated by Hanna, the novel has poignant moments yet sparkles with humor, introducing a captivating heroine whose wry, observant voice will resonate with readers. Includes an afterword from the author.

This moving historical novel is from Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park, whose beloved middle grade books include A Single Shard and A Long Walk to Water.

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272 pages

Average rating: 8.5

6 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

hillary_scholz
Jan 13, 2025
10/10 stars
What a powerful book! This was such a great look at the often ignored racism towards Chinese immigrants in the West. I loved Hanna's strength of character and how she learned to stand up for herself with her father and with people in the town.

I also appreciate Linda Sue Park's author's note that goes into how Wilder's books shaped her life growing up. She wanted to address some of the racism present in those books and show what a different family could look like out west.

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