Melodrama for Kids

Categories: Children's Books

When my copy of A Drowned Maiden's Hair: A Melodrama came in, the cover immediately intrigued me. Two girls are standing on a misty seashore—one in a white dress facing the reader and the other with her back to us, looking out to sea. I began to read and was immediately captivated by the story.

Maud Flynn, a girl of eleven, is living in a cruel orphan asylum in the year 1909.  She is a troublemaker with a hard life, but by some miracle Maud is adopted by the wealthy Hawthorne sisters. (Of course, the reader suspects this is too good to be true.)  

The eerie tone of the story foreshadows the truth about her new family. Though seemingly proper and prosperous, the sisters are really in the business of holding phony séances. They want Maud’s help to swindle a wealthy, grief-stricken client.

This story is ideal for kids in grades 4-8, and fun for historical fiction fans of all ages. For an eerie and suspenseful read, check out A Drowned Maiden’s Hair.