The Lace Dowry

By Cheng, Andrea

Publishers Summary:
Juli hasn't thought much about the future, but suddenly at her mother's urging she must think about it. Juli's mother has been saving money for her daughter's dowry for twelve years. She wants to offer Juli everything she didn’t have—a dowry and dance lessons and the perfect shoes. Juli doesn't want a dowry. It's 1936 for goodness sake, no one needs a dowry anymore. Besides Juli is only twelve and she's not ever getting married if she can help it. She'll do something more exciting—she'll become a scientist or an explorer like admiral Byrd. But Juli's mother is determined, so the family sets off on the train to Kiskunhalas, a small village outside of Budapest. Juli will not have an ordinary dowry, "Because," her mother says "you are not an ordinary girl." Reluctantly Juli goes on the train. When they arrive she meets Roza, a girl who can't read or write, but who knows how to make some of the finest lace in the world. The two girls become fast friends drawn together by the vast differences between their lives and the kittens in the barn.Soon, Juli is begging to go along with her mother to visit lace makers. Between school and dancing lessons and trips to visit Roza, Juli searches within for a solid sense of self to hold up before her overbearing mother. Her emerging identity is sharply defined by her new friendship with Roza, her growing understanding of her mother, and her own notions of who she will become. The Lace Dowry is a story rich with history and a sense of place.

 Not Rated. Be the first to rate this product!

ISBN
978-1-93242-520-8
Publisher
Front Street


REVIEWS

School Library Journal

Reviewed on May 1, 2005

Gr 4-7 Juli can't understand why her mother would want to spend all of her savings on a lace dowry for her only child. After all, she's only 12, and besides, she doesn't plan to marry -ever. The whole notion of a dowry is old-fashioned, even in Budapest, 1933. Mother and daughter are constantly at odds; one is critical and imposes her own dreams on her child; the other, in turn, is both rebellious and hurtful. Still, they make the railroad trip to Halas, known for its fine lace, every few months to check on the progress o...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

Horn Book Magazine

Reviewed on July 1, 2005

Juli's mother commissions a lavish lace tablecloth for Juli's dowry. At twelve, Juli wants no part of a dowry; she is convinced she will never want to marry and resists her mother's fierce plans for her future. Even in 1933 Budapest, bookish Juli, who narrates her own tale in spare, believable language, sees options for herself that do not include a dowry or even marriage. Her reluctant trips to the rural hom...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

Become a Pro


This feature is only available to Pro subscribers. Please log in, or upgrade your subscription.

Add To My List

cover
by

This feature is only available to Pro subscribers. Please log in, or upgrade your subscription.

Export


This feature is only available to Pro subscribers. Please log in, or upgrade your subscription.

Save List Search Query


This feature is only available to Pro subscribers. Please log in, or upgrade your subscription.

Follow Lists


This feature is only available to Pro subscribers. Please log in, or upgrade your subscription.