My Life Before Me

Gr 8 Up—This title is part of the six-part "Secrets" series (Orca), and it is a historical fiction book that weaves together several different periods of time. The story is set in the 1940s, when a teenager named Cady tries to uncover her own family history after her orphanage burns down. When she decides to follow the only clue about her past—a newspaper clipping about a vandalized grave—she leaves Canada and travels to Indiana. There she starts to uncover the shameful secrets of the small town where that grave is located. Cady is a strong and determined girl who takes her inspiration from the famous female reporter Nellie Bly, and like Nellie before her, she keeps pushing forward even when other people tell her that what she wants is impossible. Cady is a plucky heroine, and her strength and positive energy serve her well when the townspeople become suspicious and threatening because of her snooping. Readers will become immersed in different historical periods while reading this work and see how racial tensions permeated events that took place in the 1920s and 1940s. Cady is a realistically drawn character, and teens will find themselves worrying about her and cheering for her as she uncovers the dark truth about several murders that were covered up years earlier.