Leah's Song

by Eth Clifford

The Depression brings a hard life to Leah, her younger brother Daniel, and their widowed mother, but through the love and aid of a blind musician named Gideon the family finds a will and way to stay together.

Genres: Childrens, Fiction

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Eth Clifford was born in New York City in 1915. She and her husband, David Rosenberg, started David-Stewart Publishing Company. Her first book for children was published in 1959 and since that time she wrote numerous books for children and young adults. She was also known as Eth (or Ethel) Clifford Rosenberg, and as published under the name Ruth Bonn Penn, and with her husband under David Clifford. Eth Clifford died in 2003

Reviews

[Karen GoatKeeper · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's the Depression. Women especially widows with children don't get hired and are turned away when they try to rent an apartment. Yet an older couple let a widow and her two children rent one of their apartments over their little store.
One of the tenants is a blind musician.
Thanks to this tenant the little girl learns to face her own fears and overcome them. Thanks to a simple act of kindness five lives are blessed.
This is a small book with big themes. The story may seem a little too perfect yet like does sometimes seem to work out perfectly. This is an enjoyable book for more than one reading.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember reading this one before

[Books Kids Like · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Leah's father dies, her mother struggles to support the family by sewing. She manages to build a clientele with the help of Mrs. Alpert, a woman Mama met while soliciting sewing work door-to-door. The family sells most of their furniture and possessions to pay past-due bills. To make their money stretch further, they move from their house to a small apartment above a grocery store. Mama turns the apartment into home with refurbished second-hand furniture and sunny yellow paint. Gideon, the blind man living on the second floor, often sings at night. Leah enjoys listening to his music so much that she composes a poem to fit one of his tunes. She is overjoyed when Mama and Gideon begin dating. Then, Mrs. Alpert, who has always been fond of Daniel, persuades Mama to let her adopt him. With Gideon's help, a confused and angry Leah goes to Mrs. Alpert's house to get her brother back.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com

[Aradhana · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book, Leah’s Song by the author Eth Clifford is about Leah, her brother Daniel, and their mother are having a tough time during the Depression, because money has been scarce for their family ever since their father died, and their mother struggles to support them with her sewing. The family then becomes friends with a sightless man named Gideon Brown, who plays the guitar and sings alone in his room. When their building with a dark, gloomy hallway is sold, Gideon brings the family back together in a way Leah never would have expected. I like how there were a munch of heartfelt moments incorporated in this story. I adore the fact that the author used enough sensory details for me to be able to visualize the apartment building Leah’s family moved into. I love how the conflicts involved in the book are real world problems, and can relate to some people I know. If you liked Help! I’m a Prisoner in the Library, then this realistic fiction book is the book for you!