Cinnamon Moon

by Tess Hilmo

On the same day as the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, 250 miles away in Peshtigo, Wisconsin, there was an even more devastating fire. Twelve-year-old Ailis and her younger brother, Quinn, survive, but their family does not. Ailis and Quinn are taken by a family acquaintance to live in a boarding house in Chicago, where they meet six-year-old Nettie, an orphan displaced by Chicago's fire. But the woman who runs the boarding house makes their lives miserable, and Ailis vows to find a way for the three of them to leave. Ailis finds a job at a millinery shop and Quinn plays his fiddle on the streets so they can save money. Then Nettie disappears, and Ailis and Quinn discover she's been kidnapped by a group that forces children to work in the sewers killing rats. Can they find a way to rescue her?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Historical, Childrens, Fiction, Family, 19th Century

256 pages, Hardcover

First published October 18, 2016

Reviews

[QNPoohBear · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's 1871 and Chicago has just burned to the ground, presumably due to Mrs. O'Leary's cow knocking over a lantern - or so everyone thinks. Twelve-year-old Ailis and her younger brother, Quinn, of Peshtigo, Wisconsin, know a thing or two about fire. On the same day Chicago burned, their hometown of Peshtigo experienced a devastating wildfire that killed their parents and little sister and burned their farm. Now they live in Chicago at a boarding house with horrible Miss Fanny who hates them because they're Irish and treats Ailis like a slave. The only bright spot is Ailis's roommate, Nellie, a young orphan who loves to hear Ailis's stories of home. As Ailis and Quinn experience more abuse from Miss Fanny, they decide to set out on their own and work to save money for a home they can share with Nellie. Then Nellie goes missing and Miss Fanny rents the room right away. Ailis is concerned about Miss Fanny's lack of concern and must work with her brother to locate the missing girl. What they find leads to a bigger problem in the city. It's the young and poor vs. the old and rich. What can they do to save Nellie?

This novel was relatively boring. I felt dropped into the middle of the story thinking this must be a sequel. Alilis and Quinn's story is eventually revealed but it's told after the fact. Perhaps a novel where their family dies would be too traumatic for young readers but maybe put that in a novel for young adults or adults and add in this story and flesh it out more? The plot is fairly simplistic even for a middle grades book. Nell doesn't even go missing until halfway through the book and then the situation is resolved quickly and in rather a fairy tale manner. I expected this novel to be unputdownable from early on but it wasn't. I liked the message about kids saving themselves and figuring out how to defeat the "bad guy" but I wished it was a longer, more fulfilling story. This isn't anywhere near Dear America quality. It does have an author's note and bibliography at least. I would have also liked a little more info on the Gilded Age and Chicago.

Ailis is an admirable character. She knows what she has to do and is willing to do it to make her life better. I disagreed with her decision at the end of the novel but at the time it seemed like the right thing to do. She's a good big sister but doesn't really understand Quinn. He's growing up fast. He had to become a man overnight. He's changed and matured since the fire, which is awful! He should be in school and doing dumb stuff with other boys. Instead, he's standing on the frigid street corners of Chicago playing his violin for money. Apparently he's quite talented. He has the power to move people and make them feel. The Chicagoans with money are willing to pay to listen to him. Quinn has a chip on his shoulder, like many boys his age, because he wants to be a man but his big sister wants him to remain a child. They're frequently at odds but they love each other and always agree on THAT and their path forward. Ailis can't help worry, she just lost her whole family and Quinn really is just a boy. Sweet little Nellie looks up to Ailis. Nellie is a displaced orphan and while she misses her friends from the orphanage, she's thrilled to have a big sister, one who knew what it was like to have a real family. Nellie can't get enough of Ailis's stories of her family, while Ailis finds it painful to remember. She's rather retell the Irish legends her Ma shared with her. Nellie is very naive. She's a sweet girl with a strong affinity for animals and can't bear to see one of her beloved animals hurt. Not even for food. I don't think her naiveté is her way of coping with the world. She's just young and innocent. She's been sheltered by the nuns who were kind to her. It would be hard not to be kind to Nellie. She's so sweet and lovable.

The adults are rather mostly two-dimensional. They're either bad or good. Only Miss Franny is slightly developed late in the story. She reminded me of Miss Hannigan in the musical "Annie". Miss Franny is probably more overworked and stressed than Miss Hannigan. Miss Franny has to run an entire boarding house alone and Ailis is the only girl to help. She's awful to the orphans though and abusive. She never asks, only commands, complains, belittles and bemoans. The kids can't do anything to please her. She makes herself think Ailis is lazy and doesn't work hard, which isn't true. Sam, Franny's companion and friend to Quinn, explains how Miss Franny never knew love of family or kindness from the world and it's made her hard. Yeah no. You would THINK after a disaster like a fire, that affected the whole community, she would have a little empathy and compassion for the orphaned children but she doesn't. She believes the stories about Mrs. O'Leary's cow even though she (and her cow) have been exonerated. Miss Franny is prejudiced against Irish when she shouldn't be. Fire doesn't discriminate. Her boarding house could burn down one day and where will she be then?

I wasn't sure Mr. Oleson was trustworthy or at best assumed he was indifferent. He's rich. He placed Ailis and Quinn in Miss Franny's boardinghouse without checking to make sure it was a good environment and he takes Miss Franny at her word they're being treated well. In the nice column is Miss Ida Muench, a German immigrant and milliner. As an immigrant and widow, she knows about struggle and has sympathy for Ailis. She's a valuable ally and a true friend. Greta, her shop assistant, is younger than Ailis but learns quickly and works hard. She becomes a friend too.

Maybe I'm too old for middle grades historical fiction now. I probably would have enjoyed this more when I was 9 or 10. I don't think my nephew will find it interesting so I shall return it to the Little Free Library and hope some kid does find it worthwhile reading.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cinnamon Moon is a great Historical Fiction Story for Middle Grade readers. It is based on an event that I did not even know about, The Peshtigo Wisconsin Fire as well as the Chicago Fire. Ailis and her brother Quinn were moved to Chicago from the small town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin after a fire killed their parents and young sister. A friend of their fathers, Mr. Olsen, set them up in a boarding house there. Unfortunately, he was not aware that Miss Franny, the person who ran the boarding house, treated them as slaves. They met another young orphan named Nettie and got quite close to her. Ailis and Quinn want a better life, so Ailis takes a job with a German woman, Ida, in a millinery shop, and Quinn starts busking with his violin, making a lot more money that he thought possible. When Nettie goes missing, the two try to investigate, and uncover a plot to use very young children to help keep down the rat population. Can they rescue her from this life? Will they be able to move into a place of their own?

The characters were wonderful. Ailis and Quinn tried to make the most of the situation they were in. Ailis was smart, resourceful, loyal and had a strong will. She used what she could (Mr. Olsen, Sam, her work ethic) to make their life better. Quinn, was smart and talented. Unfortunately he was also stubborn. With his wonderful musical talent that he inherited from his father, he was able to help both himself and his sister much more than the thought he could. The siblings never give up on Nettie. That loyalty and love is also apparent when they are reminiscing about their family. Ida, the milliner who took Ailis under her wing, was a wonderful person. Her support of Ailis, Quinn and Nettie was a joy. She owed these children nothing, but she gave them everything she could. After all the trouble they went through, the story had a happy ending. It seemed to come quickly, but considering this book is for young readers, ages 9 to 12, it was nicely done. The plot was built up and you would be rooting for the children. The ending was definitely satisfactory, with the heroes/heroines coming out on the bright side and with some of the villians getting their due. A great book for a class or school library. It may lead some children into investigating this time in history as well as getting them interested in more historical fiction. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cinnamon Moon is another wonderful book from a talented author. Tess writes children well, and writes wonderful lessons along with way. I loved this book. The characters were amazing. What I loved about them most, was how they tried to make their terrible situation better by helping themselves. I loved Ailis. She was smart, resourceful, and strong. As was Quinn. I loved how Quinn had his father's talent in playing the fiddle. She and Quinn are put in a hard situation with Miss Franny. Together, they wanted to have a life with each other and Nettie away from Miss Franny, and they come up with a great plan. Then Nettie disappears, and the two stop at nothing to help her. There are many tender moments, especially when the siblings talked about and remembered their parents and baby sister that died in the Peshtigo fire. Ida was a complete joy. I loved how she took Ailis under her wing. I felt the ending was beautiful. There is nothing wrong with a happy ending that leaves you feeling good and happy you invested your time in a well-told story. Remembering also, this is a story aimed for readers 10 - 12 years old. We all could use a little happy in our lives.

Received a complimentary copy from the author, all views and opinions are my own.

[Nancy Cavanaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such engaging historical fiction! Characters that pull you into their struggles and triumphs! Don't miss!

[Arlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am giving this five stars. Wow, what a great read! A story of two kids who survived the Peshtigo fire in Wisconsin, the greatest fire in American history in 1871 and a six-year old orphan, a survivor from a Chicago fire on the same day. A story of struggles and triumphs, a story of ups and downs, a story of survival.

Tess Hilmo is on my list of newly discovered authors. She writes a wonderful story, amazing children's dialogue. The characters are fictional but the events were based on true stories.

I am always drawn to historical fiction. I find them even more arresting to read than your run of the mill romances. I wish I could find more books like this.

[Amayrani Olvera · Rating 5 out of 5]

book review #5 date: 2/5/2017 Amayrani Olvera AB2 Cinnamon moon
Cinnamon Moon had me turning the pages faster and faster as I got near the end. This book is absolutely full of suspense and surprises. When I first got the book this Christmas my mom immediately said she wanted to read the book, so I let her read the book a couple hours later I found her in her bed reading the book and crying saying the way the author describes the characters during their times of grief was very realistic. A couple days passed and she gave me the book back and said "you'll love this book! for sure I just know it". As soon as I got the book back I went to my room and read the book all throughout the day. I was not disappointed at all while reading the book. The way the author describes the scenery really does bring you into the story feeling as if you're there. "As his warm palm presses against mine, I think of the grubby cinnamon moon on the night we lost everything and how it turned back to its clean white color so easily." Tess Hilmo also added some very deep meaningful life lessons to Cinnamon Moon for example, "the thought comes to me that life inches forward moment by moment, day by day. That today will end-whether we are ready for it to end or not- and that a new tomorrow will always come. And I suppose the only choice we ever really have is to allow ourselves to splinter against the weight of it all or to dig down, gather courage, and walk on." For these reasons and more I rate this book 5 stars and for anyone willing to shed a tear or two or a thousand to read this book.

[Creel Unbelove'D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wonderfully interesting premise; lets us know of a fire as horrible as that of the Great Fire in Chicago. The story does a good job of developing the "evil stepmom" feel of the mean lady running the boarding house where the lead character and her brother end up staying as orphans. Nettie, the young orphan from one of Chicago's orphanages that is damaged in the fire, is so "sickly sweet" as to be flavorless. The heart of the mystery doesn't start until chapter nine. By then, I had lost interest. Maybe I am way too old for this book. I usually love historical fiction written for grade school readers.
Did anyone make it through the whole book?

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A month after the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 and an even more destructive fire in their hometown of Peshtigo, Wisconsin, two youngsters struggle to survive in the big city. Their entire family died in the fire in Wisconsin, and twelve-year-old Ailis and her younger brother, Quinn, 11, have been sent to live in a boarding house where they are treated as servants and berated by the landlady. They befriend Nettie, a naive six-year-old who disappears into the bowels of the city where she is employed in catching rats and putting out poison for them in areas too small for larger hands to enter. She thinks she's giving them medicine. Desperate to find a better place to live and to earn money, Ailis begins working for Miss Franny at her millinery shop while Quinn, a talented violinist, plays in the street for anything listeners will pay. The youngsters are fortunate to have some caring adults in their lives even though they've lost their parents, and a sympathetic newspaper reporter investigates the allegations of using children in these risky jobs, which causes public opinion to go against the man and company who are profiting from all of this. I'm sure I won't be the only one who has never heard of the Peshtigo Fire, which made the story interesting to me. I was also particularly struck by the author's ability to capture the place and times so well, vividly describing the prejudices that existed toward certain groups such as the Irish, and the way urban legends such as the one about the origin of Chicago's Fire and Mrs. O'Leary's Cow persisted. While the ending was a bit too good to be true, I was relieved to find some measure of happiness for these youngsters, homeless and desperate through no fault of their own. Their stories stand as vivid reminders that even those with good intentions don't always follow through and that a safety net for impoverished children must exist.

[April Moody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alilis and her Brother Quinn have lost their parents and little sister after a deadly fire rages through their small town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin. They have been placed in a boarding house in Chicago run by Miss Fanny. Miss Fanny has come from challenging circumstances herself and is often unkind. Alilis wants a better life for herself, her brother and another orphan friend, six year old Nettie. She finds a job with a kind German woman who runs a millinery shop and Quinn makes money by playing his violin in the streets. Nettie disappears suddenly and the two try to uncover a plot by a local company who uses children to catch rats. The resourcefulness of Alilis eventually leads her to Nettie and she puts a plan in motion to expose the misuse of children.

I really enjoyed this story about two siblings trying to make a heartbreaking situation better by working hard to help themselves. When Nettie disappears the two siblings put their hearts into finding her. There dedication to getting her out of a bad situation shows how big their hearts are. There were sweet tender moments as they remember the family they lost and as they create a new family together with Nettie and the Kind German woman Alilis works for. This was a well told story with endearing characters with a satisfying ending.

[Susan S.C.C.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm glad I came across this ARC on the bookshelf in our staff room. I love learning about pieces of history that I knew nothing about before opening a book. This story opened my eyes to the destruction of a town in Wisconsin, Peshtigo.  The same day as the Great Chicago Fire, Peshtigo was destroyed by a fire as well and over 2400 citizens died in the inferno. It was a story about the survival of a brother and sister from that small town and how they learned to survive without their parents. Alone as orphans in (what remained of) the city of Chicago, they survived with the help of new friends, during a time in our history when so many lost the world they once knew, and had to re-build their lives and their futures.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third book about the Chicago Fire I've inadvertently read this year. Ever heard of the Peshtigo Wisconsin fire? Same day as the Chicago fire! 2400 people perished in the Peshtigo fire, 300 in the Chicago fire. Both fires play a role in this story of two orphaned children, taken in off the street and placed in a Chicago boarding house by a railroad tycoon. Good historical fiction to hand to upper elementary school children. Kept me reading as the two tracked down a third orphan sold to a rat extermination racket.

[Angela Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting subject matter - I have not read anything about the Great Chicago Fire and had definitely not heard of the devastating Peshtigo fire. Great way to introduce a few themes to children: grief and mourning; family is defined in many ways; some people aren't good or bad (Miss Franny) and we don't always like everyone; human trafficking; child labor laws; stranger danger, etc. What I can't decide is if the cookie cutter ending is the right ending for the sake of middle grade readers or if it is too fairytale, nicely tied up.

[Karin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Children's book that takes places in Chicago just after the great fire. The history was interesting and I love that the setting is in the midwest! I liked the characters, but they felt a little underdeveloped to me and the plot didn't move as smoothly as in her previous books. Still, a nice read for the pre-teens.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a good read! Strong female characters. I like historical fiction and this one was a good one for kids 10-14. May just lead a few to look into the Peshtigo Fire. I'm not sure if the Great Chicago Fire is ever mentioned in classes today, but it wouldn't hurt for kids to learn how resiliant their forefathers AND foremothers were! Great tale.

[Karyn Tripp · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter met this author at a writing camp and we have both been reading all of her books since. She is a great author!
This book is a historical fiction about the Chicago Fire. It’s written for middle grades & is a perfect way to introduce kids to this part of history. I really enjoyed it and so did my 11-year-old daughter.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I devoured this book. I really liked how it told the story of the Great Chicago Fire, but also the story of another, much more devastating fire, while killed far more people, on the same day, that I had never even heard of. It also told the story of child labor, prejudice against Irish immigrants and other well-written and nuanced characters who I grew to know and love.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very educational and heartfelt read. It touches on the Chicago fire and the aftermath, but also really points out the Pestigo fire, which we know so much less about. It touches on child labor, the treatment of the Irish, orphanages, and more. It was very eye-opening and touching. The characters are relatable, develop well, and seem timeless. I would recommend this one for sure.

[Rachel D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is great historical fiction. I had never heard of the Peshtigo fire, and I now know more about the Chicago fire as well. The characters are lovable and believable. I look forward to sharing this with my children and students.

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay book for the younger middle school student. Gives an interesting view on the Chicago Fire of 1871, also on the status of children during that time period. A safe historical fiction with wholesome characters.

[Book - Dragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book at a library competition and had never heard of it so my cousin and I read it together. We loved it. We also cried when we read the part about their baby sister. Great historical fiction novel.

[Kristi Bell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clean, juvenile read about a little known fire that took a back seat to the Great Chicago Fire (which is in this book, also).

Language: None
Violence: None
Sex: None

[Krystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the best book Hilmo has written. Good historical fiction about Chicago after the fire. It ended a little too nicely for me, but I still enjoyed it. 3.5 stars.

[Sherrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! Very touching I loved it!

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome historical novel for middle grade readers. The small details make it come to life. My daughters (ages 10 and 12) will love this story.

[Katie Hutchison Irion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good. I enjoy a good historical fiction. This one opened my eyes to life in Chicago right after the great fire. I enjoyed the characters and story.

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting (and heartbreaking) historical fiction story about the Great Chicago Fire and the Peshtigo Fire. A great book for a middle school reader.

[Ryleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome and sad!

[Caitlin Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful story about the peshtigo fire and the Chicago fire. It is a sweet middle grade story that tells the story of children during this time.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shows a terrible part of history through a heartfelt story.