The Hope Chest

The Hope Chest by Karen Schwabach tells the story of the final vote that passed the Susan B. Anthony Amendment, giving women the right to vote.

Violet Mayhew lives in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania with her parents. She misses her older sister Chloe and has not heard from her since she left three years ago - until today. When looking in her mother's desk for a postage stamp, Violet found a stack of letters from Chloe.

After reading the letters and deciding that it was unfair of her parents for keeping them from her, Violet runs away to New York to find her sister.

What follows is an adventure across the country - New York to Washington, DC to Tennessee. Violet meets interesting people, learns about politics and racism, and plays a part in getting women the right to vote.

Schwabach is a great author of historical fiction featuring young characters. She explains difficult concepts in our past with ease and excitement. I would recommend any of her books.

Schwabach, Karen. (2008). The Hope Chest. New York: Random House.