SEWING! NO ONE could hate it more than Dina Kirk.
Endless tiny stitches, button holes, darts. Since she was tiny, she’s worked in her... read full description
Endless tiny stitches, button holes, darts. Since she was tiny, she’s worked in her... read full description
reviews
Aug 29, 2011
Eva
rated it: 
Thirteen year old Dina sails from Germany to America by herself in 1870 convinced she is moving from a life of sewing for her mother to her rich uncle's home. She hopes never to have to sew again. She enters Uncle Lucas' tiny apartment in dirty, dingy Brooklyn to see a sewing machine enthroned in the main room. Her uncle works in service, caring for the carriage horses and the lawn during the day, and sews at night. He dreams of owning his own tailoring shop, but doesn't have enough money.
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Mar 23, 2011
Kathryn
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Coming of age story of a girl moving to the US from Germany in the 1870s. I think I would have liked it better if I were in middle school (the target audience), but I've pretty much read my fill of sassy girls learning to get along in new places (Witch of Blackbird Pond - blech). Plus, it felt more like the outline of a book than the book itself. Even though the story is told in the voice of the adolescent girl, the distance between the narration & the story and the quick fast-forwards (sudde
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Jan 10, 2011
KidsFiction
rated it:
J Giff, Patricia Reilly
Youth Dept - 5 stars
I LOVED this book and couldn't put it down until I finished it - it grabbed my interest from the very beginning!
A great story by two-time Newbery Honor-winning author Patricia Reilly Giff, this is a story based on the author's grandmother's journey to the United States. Set in the late 1800's, the story begins in Germany during a time of war. Dina, the main character and daughter of a tailor, is a young girl who alw More...
Youth Dept - 5 stars
I LOVED this book and couldn't put it down until I finished it - it grabbed my interest from the very beginning!
A great story by two-time Newbery Honor-winning author Patricia Reilly Giff, this is a story based on the author's grandmother's journey to the United States. Set in the late 1800's, the story begins in Germany during a time of war. Dina, the main character and daughter of a tailor, is a young girl who alw More...
May 30, 2010
Heather
rated it:
Three and a half stars, actually. Interesting characters, plot and historical setting. Troubling things happen to Dina and her family, but not nightmare-causing. The author loosely based the story on her great-grandmother -- I like that!
One little thing bugged me: we listened to this on CDs, and the narrator read all of the dialogue of Dina and her family with a pronounced German accent.(The rest of the book did not have an accent, so it wasn't because the narrator herself had an More...
One little thing bugged me: we listened to this on CDs, and the narrator read all of the dialogue of Dina and her family with a pronounced German accent.(The rest of the book did not have an accent, so it wasn't because the narrator herself had an More...
Jun 03, 2011
Oleg
rated it: 
A House of Tailors is a wonderful book. It has many of the things I enjoy: an interesting occupation (tailors), a talented main character (teenager Dina Kirk, who can really sew), Brooklyn a bit (well, thirty years) before the turn-of-the-century, an immigrant story, and a tender plot that pulled at the heartstrings.
Though it is normal for a short chapter book to skip out on many historical details, here Reilly Giff includes just the right details. I may look into those sanitation m More...
Though it is normal for a short chapter book to skip out on many historical details, here Reilly Giff includes just the right details. I may look into those sanitation m More...
Oct 27, 2009
(NS)Jennifer
rated it:
In this story, Dina, 13, can't wait to leave Germany. She will begin her new life in Brooklyn with Mama's rich brother and his family. Dina can't want to leave her mother's sewing shop even though her mother reminds her that "the needle and thread love you." When she enters as five-story walk-up, she realizes that she has entered a house of tailors. Dina helps Aunt Barbara with the house and baby Maria, but her Uncle Lucas sees her as a burden. Dina makes forty cents a day as she
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Jul 13, 2010
Nielson
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I listened to this book on CD and I really enjoyed it. I thought the narrator did a really good job. I really liked Deena's strong-willed character. I think the neatest thing about this story is that is it based on a true story of the author's great grandma. I loved listening to the afterward where the author talked about the real Deena's life. I'm so glad she ended up embracing her talent of sewing and that she stayed in America. Cute, sweet book about how sometimes life doesn't always go how w
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Nov 21, 2010
Emily
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I'm a fan of Patricia Reilly Giff, and this now ranks as one of my favorites. Dina has a gift for sewing but she hates it. She longs to escape to America and is extremely jealous when her older sister and close friend Katharina is going to get to go. But unexpected circumstances send Dina to the US to live with her uncle, who makes his living sewing and needs Dina. The circumstances to get Dina out of the country seem preposterous, but I really loved the rest of the story, so I can overlook
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Jun 10, 2010
Wendy
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this book was very good. i think the theme of this book is show who you are and do not hide your talent.When 13-year-old Dina leaves her small town in Germany to join her uncle’s family in Brooklyn.Dina is a very talented sewer. she didn’t know that sewing would reveal her own wonderful talent—and her future. She didn’t know she could be this homesick. Dina struggles to fit in with her new family and tries to stand up to her uncle, who is almost as stubborn as she is. Her family soon discovers h
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Jul 14, 2011
Brett
rated it:
Giff writes another children's historical gem, based on her own family history. Dina Kirk hates sewing but has to do it all the time to help her mother's tailoring business. When her Uncle, who lives in America, agrees to have her older sister move in with him & his family, Dina dreams of leaving Germany herself & never sewing again. A mistake that leaves Dina in severe danger means that her dream is coming true - but upon reaching her Uncle's house in Brooklyn, she realizes that America has as
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Jan 23, 2009
Kristen
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It's interesting Patricia Giff's books, since common themes run through them - family, embracing a skill, friendship found in different and unexpected places. I felt as I was reading it, however, that it was too closely linked to her other books. I could see how struggling readers would grasp onto these books since the themes are so evident. I felt this was more "challenging" than Pictures of Hollis Woods, but only because of the historical context and kids need to understand WWII a
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Mar 23, 2010
Jennifer
rated it:
Enjoyable historical fiction, but a little on the short side for girls in the 10-14 age range, who I would expect would be the target audience (since the main character is 13/14). I would have liked the story to go on a bit longer myself.
The characters seemed realistic and the main character was easy to relate to. I liked the inclusion of the afterword, which notes that the main character is loosely based on the author's great-grandmother. Girls who have learned to sew or who are i More...
The characters seemed realistic and the main character was easy to relate to. I liked the inclusion of the afterword, which notes that the main character is loosely based on the author's great-grandmother. Girls who have learned to sew or who are i More...
Aug 22, 2010
Jen
rated it:
This was the first audio book that I have ever listened to and I definatley enjoyed the eperience..it also made a trip to CT that much shorter! I did find that I had a more difficult time maintaining attention to the story than if I was reading it. I think that was due to the fact that it is easier to just stop and start reading with distractions. This was the story of a young immigrant girl's journey and new life in Brooklyn and the realities of what she thought life would be versus the rea
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Feb 10, 2011
Leslie
rated it:
Patricia Reilly Giff is on my list of favorite children's authors. This was one of her books I hadn't read yet. Another good historical fiction about Dina leaving Germany to come live with her uncle and family in America. Great story and just when I thought I hadn't cried yet in this one by Giff (because her others have made me cry LOL), she gave a great ending that had me fanning my eyes as I drove down the road (listening to the audio version of this). LOL For that she gets four stars! :)
Jan 04, 2010
Rae
rated it:
Germany 1870. A young girl is accused of being a French spy (she's not) and is sent to America to prevent being captured. She has a talent for sewing but hopes to leave that all behind when she moves in with her uncle and family in New York. But he is a tailor also and she must sew to make a living. Eventually she comes to terms with her new country and her gift. A decent read. Like many immigrant stories, this one is loosely based on the author's relatives.
Jun 04, 2010
Bridget R.
rated it:
[I liked this a lot more than her Irish books. I'm still waiting for her to top Pictures of Hollis Woods.:]
Dina Kirk's impetuous nature (She just had to have that French hat patten!) causes trouble with the local soldiers. She goes to America in her sister's place. America has always been her dream. There she can escape the endless monotony of her mother's sewing business.
Her dreams of America are dashed when uncle shows her his sewing machine. He expects Dina to earn her More...
Dina Kirk's impetuous nature (She just had to have that French hat patten!) causes trouble with the local soldiers. She goes to America in her sister's place. America has always been her dream. There she can escape the endless monotony of her mother's sewing business.
Her dreams of America are dashed when uncle shows her his sewing machine. He expects Dina to earn her More...
Apr 14, 2010
Cheryl
rated it:
I inherited this book from Jennifer when she brought it to me thinking it was mine...so now we are searching for the actual owner. This did not stop me from reading it first. This was a cute, historical fiction about a girl who emigrated to the United States expecting it to be a magic place. It was a "coming of age" story that was charming and easy to follow. Good quick read.
May 02, 2009
Debbie
rated it:
Dina hates sewing, but has a gift for it. When she is forced to leave Germany after being mistaken for a spy, she is at first happy to escape the endless sewing. However, upon her arrival at her uncle's house in Brooklyn, she learns that he is also a tailor, but poorer than her own father.
Readers get a glimpse of America in the 1800's, seen through the eyes of an immigrant.
Readers get a glimpse of America in the 1800's, seen through the eyes of an immigrant.
Jun 30, 2008
Kristen
rated it:
Another one we listened to on tape on our drive. Great story about a young girl who is sent to America to protect her from trouble she has inadvertently got into in Germany. She is the daughter of a tailor and has had to sew all her life. The one good thing about leaving Germany is that she will never have to sew again, or so she thinks.
Turns out the uncle is a tailor too, and expects her to earn her keep by sewing for him. She does so grudgingly, and always looking for a way to mak More...
Turns out the uncle is a tailor too, and expects her to earn her keep by sewing for him. She does so grudgingly, and always looking for a way to mak More...
Apr 03, 2011
Hannah
rated it:
A girl discovers her talent hidden in an activity she had done all her life and hates(sewing). This book is a good one for helping young people think about their talents and how they can find work that they have a passion for. It is also great for its historical perspective on being a struggling immigrant just before the turn of the century.
Mar 16, 2011
Angela
rated it:
A girl discovers her talent hidden in an activity she had done all her life and hates(sewing). This book is a good one for helping young people think about their talents and how they can find work that they have a passion for. It is also great for its historical perspective on being a struggling immigrant just before the turn of the century.
Sep 11, 2009
Portia
rated it: 
I enjoyed this OK, it has some of my standard favorite characteristics in a book: hardworking stongminded heroines facing surprising challenges. I loved the history behind the story, too: well-told. But all in all nothing particularly to stand out and make it really remarkable, and just a tad too obviously preachy.
May 25, 2009
Stacy
rated it:
Another great book from Patricia Reilly Giff. This one is based on her relatives from Germany. I love to read stories that are based on true-life characters and especially family members. At the end, the author explains what really happened, and what she had changed. Most of it all was true. A nice, quick read.
Jun 09, 2010
Su
rated it:
What a sweet story of a 12 year old girl from Germany who is sent to America. She HATES sewing for her mother, and is sure that America will bring new and exciting changes into her life. Not the case. Be sure to read the Afterward as it makes the story all the better to find the truth behind this tender story.
Jan 14, 2009
Emily
rated it:
Set in Germany in late 1800's. Dina's family makes a living by sewing. She dreams of being in New York with her uncle, assuming all Americans are like those she has seen in a magazine with wealth and comfort. In the end she discovers she really does love to sew and does love Germany.
Jul 23, 2009
Sarah
rated it:
this was a fun, light read. I love her style of writing, nice way to unwind. I liked the fact that this book was based on a true story of the author's ancestors. this book makes you grateful for the luxurious life we all live!
Jan 23, 2009
Malory
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This book was a good way to tell how your life would probably be in the times of the war and how you were sometimes forced to do things you realy didn't want to.
Feb 26, 2010
Laura
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Mar 16, 2009
Melinda
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This is a great story about using the talents that one is given to succeed. It was interesting to discover what parts of the story actually happened to the author's great grandmother.
Aug 09, 2011
Kate
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I have always loved Giff as a young adults' author. this book had an interesting story and was very well written. a cute book.
