Chasing Secrets
Thirteen-year-old Elizabeth Kennedy has no greater concerns than navigating friendships at school and dreaming about following in her physician father’s footsteps, but when San Francisco’s Chinatown is placed under quarantine in 1900, suddenly life is more complicated. There are rumors of plague, denied by the newspapers and society doctors. The family’s beloved Chinese cook disappears and Lizzie discovers his son Noah hiding on the third floor of their house. As Lizzie befriends Noah, she begins to question everything she thought she knew about Chinese and American relations in San Francisco.
An excellent book about friendship, family, tolerance, and finding strength in adversity.
Jessica Brockmole
Chasing Secrets is a captivating story about a thirteen-year-old girl named Elizabeth Kennedy, who yearns to go to college and become a doctor. But, under the watchful eyes of her wealthy aunt and uncle, Lizzie is barely allowed to answer medical calls with her papa. There are rumors of the plague in San Francisco. Her cook is trapped in Chinatown’s quarantine, there is a new boy living in secret upstairs, and there is still the lingering question of why everyone is waiting on the monkey. With the reluctant help of her older brother Billy, she tries to get their cook out of the quarantine. Throughout Lizzie’s adventures, she learns that friendship is important and that hard work leads to great success.
I liked this book because the author did a great job with imagery and details and I felt like I was experiencing what the characters in the book were experiencing. This quality of the writing helped the story be perceived a little better. I would recommend this book to teens and pre-teens mostly, but Chasing Secrets could be enjoyable to anyone of any age.
Ellen Brockmole, age 12
