Earthly Astonishments
by Marthe Jocelyn
Josephine is tiny - only 22 inches high. Her parents charged people a penny to look at her until the headmistress of the MacLaren Academy for Girls paid more to buy her. Miss MacLaren wanted a seamstress. Five years later, Josephine is a much-abused slave. After one beating too many, Josephine runs away. She gets taken in by R. J. Walters, who runs the Museum of Earthly Astonishments. There, among the other human curiosities, Josephine finds a family to care for her. But when her past catches up to her, Mr. Walters suddenly seems more like a jailor than a rescuer.
An intriguing tale of 19th century Manhattan, with a sympathetic and brave heroine. Its themes of friendship, life, and human curiosity are told with honesty and compassion, while the story itself contains danger and thrills in equal measure.
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