Review published on Goodreads, 28 October 2021:

I don't know how much kid appeal historical novels actually have these days, but I enjoy them!

STARTING FROM SENECA FALLS examines some important issues—slavery, women's rights, escape from domestic abuse, etc. The story has an interesting setting that comes alive with vivid period details. It highlights historical figures that modern kids definitely need to know about. The girls at the novel's center are fictional, but they're sympathetic and easy to root for. Plotwise, STARTING FROM SENECA FALLS had enough going on to keep me interested, but it still felt unfocused, like it was trying to cover too much ground. Bridie had no real story goal to keep her and the action moving forward, so the story felt a bit loosey-goosey. Still, I enjoyed it overall. I wouldn't say I loved this novel, but I liked it and appreciated the issues it brought to light. If I could, I'd give it 3 1/2 stars. Since I can't, I'm rounding up.

This is a well written middle grade book about the beginning of the women’s suffrage movement. It manages to pack in a lot of history while keeping the story easy to read. It’s a good introduction to the subject for upper elementary readers.

I loved this! It was such an enjoyable read. I loved learning about the history of this time period and what life was like for kids. All the historical figures we meet in the series were written well.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, and this book definitely did not disappoint. This was such a good mix of fictional characters and real history from a different side of the women's suffragette movement. The story was engaging as it went through Rose and Bridie's struggles to solve different problems in their own lives. I loved this book and the message from start to finish! Definitely one to add to our historical fiction section of our classroom library!

This middle grade book is the perfect mixture of story, adventure and history. This would be an awesome way to teach this portion of American history to children in a classroom or homeschool setting. Bridie the main character is an Irish immigrant to the US and through her story readers are introduced to the concepts of poorhouses, the Potato Famine, the Underground Railroad, slavery, women’s rights, human rights, abolition, suffrage, educational inequality, the gold rush, westward expansion and more. The story of a young girl alone and trying to figure out a new place is perfect for readers to learn alongside her. The format of the book also does a good job explaining the concepts in a way that doesn’t feel like a history lesson, but surely is one. The end of the book also has historical notes which would be great jumping off points for further research. There is one aspect of the book that could be hard for sensitive children as the main character does fear for her life at the hands of a cruel person, as well as there is some physical violence and domestic abuse. While these are not easy topics, they are central to what women’s rights were about as husbands and fathers were owners of their wives and children. Because this occurs in the historical context of the book, it would be a good time to explain how today we each have rights to safety and what to do if somebody is violating those rights. There are also memories of deaths of family members in the book, but nothing graphic or too specific. Please don’t let this keep you from reading this book with a class or your children because the value far outweighs any tough questions.

In the year 1848 Bridie, a young immigrant girl from Ireland, and Rose, a young black girl involved with the Underground Railroad, have both tragically lost their parents and are struggling to survive on their own. The two girls quickly become friends. Rose helps Birdie get a job working for Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who is working to change the status quo for women.

This historical fiction book focuses on an important event - the Seneca Falls Convention - that to my knowledge has yet to be addressed in a middle grade novel. I love that my readers can be introduced to human rights activists Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and Frederick Douglass through the eyes of two young girls. It’ll make those profoundly important people more accessible to them.

Thank you to Random House Childrens for sharing an eARC with #BookAllies in exchange for an honest review.

Bridie's life has been a series of wrongs. The potato famine in Ireland. Being sent to the poorhouse when her mother's new job in America didn't turn out the way they'd hoped. Becoming an orphan.

Starting From Seneca Falls
By: Karen Schwabach
Random House Children's
Random House Books for Young Readers
Children's Fiction/Historical Fiction
Publish Date 23 June 2020
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This was a great book and I gave it 5 stars. I read this book in one day, it is only 240 pages. It is quick, enjoyable and knowledgeable.
When I started reading this I thought it was a second book in a series and I found myself checking God Reads to make sure it wasn't. Once I realized it wasn't a sequel I was able to breeze through it.
This book is about the first meeting for Women's suffrage and how it came about in the view of a young girl.
Bridie/Phoebe is an orphan who is sent to help a family for two weeks but ends up running away because the father is mean.
She befriends a another girl, Rose, who is colored. Rose helps her find a job with Mrs. Stanton who has unique ideas. Mrs. Stanton is well off and doesn't care who you are or how important.
She works with Mrs. Cady and others to put together a convention for the women in the town in Seneca Falls, New York. These ladies were important for the start of the rights we have now.
I enjoyed the way the author wrote this story so that the younger reader can get to know how thing about for women.
At the end of the book there is a historical section that tells you more about what was true and what was made up. Most of the events were true and only a few of the people were fake.
I highly recommend that you read this book and have the younger children this even if they are male.

Starting from Seneca Falls you can go anywhere in the world.

We have come a long way in the short history of our nation and we as a nation have led the way in human rights. Based in the time of 1849 and with actual men and women that paved the way like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Frederick Douglas. our two young protagonist Birdie and Rose learn what it means fight for human rights and freedom.

Birdie has come in from Ireland. Her story is well known. Her family leaving Ireland for America for a better life after her family suffered in the Irish Potato Famine. Orphaned, Birdie is now in the poor house in Seneca Falls. Birdie is outspoken, thoughtful, loyal. You like her right a way. She has spunk with everything that she has gone thru. Birdie is taken out of the poor house by the Kigley family on loan. Birdie has a bad feeling with this family and her bad feelings are realized and she runs away. On the run she meets Rose. Their meeting is remarkable. It is at night and with Rose's kindness and wit she is surprised by that Rose is colored. Rose leads Birdy to Mrs. Stanton's where she begins to understand the fight for human rights.

The narration is both between Rose and Birdie. Rose in her dream to be a scientist. She seeks education and finds it with a local teacher. Birdie realizes her rights and no longer fears the family of Kigley of taking her back. With a twist of fate, she and Rose help the Kigley women in their rights as well.

The book is geared for 5th graders to middle schoolers and has much to offer in what is human rights and those that fought for them and why. Our world has a long way to go but those like Birdie and Rose there is hope. Highly recommend.

A special thank you to Childrens Random House and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

Bridie is an Irish girl who gets indentured to cruel abusive man. She runs away and befriends colored girl who helps her get a job with Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Santon. There, Bridie is exposed to radical ideas about a women’s rights to earn and keep wages as well as a woman’s right to vote, abolition, and the possibilities of pursuing your own dreams. Readers will find this to be an interesting glimpse into a significant historical time when both women’s rights advocates and abolitionists worked together to make big changes in the world.

Little did I know that when I finished this book it would be on the anniversary of the Seneca Falls Convention that is talked about in this book. What a happy coincidence! I really enjoyed this book and believe middle grade readers would as well. It is a well researched historical fiction which does an excellent job of illustrating the struggles of women during the 1800s especially prior to the Civil War. The relationship between the two girls is relatable as well as the interwoven of actual figures from the past.
Highly recommend for grades 5th and above.

What a unique historical fiction middle grade novel! I had never heard of this piece of the women's suffrage movement until I read this novel. I have since heard snippets of it in different places and am glad to have had this peek into the movement.

While there are many heavy topics discusses in this book, kids will latch onto the story and want to know what happens next while learning and growing through the character's trials.

The Seneca Falls Convention is a relatively well know event among history buffs, less so among the rest of us. Even if it's familiar, though, viewing it through teh eyes of children nearby is always an interesting premise. This particular book gives us two marginalized perspectives: a white domestic worker and a black school girl. Bridie comes from abject poverty and expects very little out of life. She figures all the future holds for her is hard work. She's never really seen any other possibility. It does not occur to her to consider what she might want out of life. Rose is filled with ambition. She wants to achieve great things but society tells her that her gender and her race will hold her back. The plot is pretty straightforward and not especially conflict driven. The ending is built on a lot of convenient coincidences and cuts off pretty short. Still an interesting exploration that could spark some decent conversations with young readers.

In this centenary year of the vote for women, lots of stories are being told.  This one about Bridie and Rose brings events vividly to life.  While the story is geared towards readers aged 8-to-12, I would take that as a guideline.  As an adult, I also found that I enjoyed reading this book.  It begins to engage readers immediately as they meet Bridie who is locked up in the poorhouse and literally climbing up a wall.  Readers just know that she will have the wits, pluck and sense to better her life.  They will quickly see that this was not easy though and that Bridie faced some harsh treatment.  They will be glad when she finds a friend in Rose.


Readers will witness the struggles that the two girls face.  They will watch as Bridie gets a job with someone named Elizabeth Cady Stanton.  Yes, we all know how this ended but how we got there is so interesting. 


This book is engaging and involving.  At the end of the novel are many helpful  historical notes.  These add greatly to the book.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this read in exchange for an honest review.  It should find its place in home and elementary school libraries.

4 stars

I have wanted to incorporate more historical novels into my daughters’ read aloud bedtime stories. This book does a great job explaining the beginnings of the women’s suffrage movement, and has led to some great discussions with my daughters.

The story is about an orphan, Bridie, who runs away from her job with an abusive family and meets Rose at Seneca Falls, New York. The two become friends and help each other while learning from Mrs. Stanton and helping with a women’s convention.

This book was a little too advanced for my children. My oldest is 7 and my only critique was that I wish there were some illustrations to go along with the chapters. I read about half of the book to my daughters and then finished the rest on my own, since they were having a hard time staying engaged. I’d recommend this to children 9 and older.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children’s for the ARC of this book. I will be checking out more of Karen Schwabach’s books!

A BIG thank you to Netgalley and Random House Books for providing an advanced copy of this book for my review. This book might seem like a cute friendship tale from the cover, but it is so much more than that. It beautifully blends fiction with the historical events at Seneca Falls for Women’s rights.

Bridie and Rose are adorable as the main characters. They face a lot of challenges but stick together and remain positive for a better future. One of my favorite scenes was when Bridie speaks about her mother’s situation with everyone in the meeting. I also loved her fascination of the printing press, and made me curious to visit one myself. Rose is a character that inspires you do better, as she knows the value and importance of education from an early age. She doesn’t let the color of her skin stop her from achieving her dreams.

The author has done a wonderful job in telling Bridie’s tale while providing historical events of the Seneca Falls in an accurate manner. I always love reading stories that get me interested in historical events. Reading this story encouraged me to research more about Elizabeth Stanton and Frederick Douglass. Furthermore, the story also covered many other topics, like the printing press, phrenology (which I had never heard of) and the Irish Potato Famine.

I feel this is one of those books that everyone should read. It provides awareness as to how far we have come in the last 200 years, but still have so much further to go. Overall, Starting from Seneca Falls was very entertaining and informative.

This is a lovely, child friendly look at the events leading up to the Seneca Falls convention on the rights of women. I taught women’s history for several years and feel the content is well researched. The author clarifies some points in the following notes including Susan B Anthony ( who does not appear in the story) and the falling out with Frederick Douglass over women’s suffrage. Neither Anthony nor Stanton lived to see the vote passed in 1920.

I wish there had been books like this when I was a child. Quick read, very engaging. Stark but not frightening. And frequently funny. I highly recommend it.

I really enjoyed Karen Schwabach's book, Starting from Seneca Falls. It is an engaging historical fiction book about two girls finding themselves and working to solve their own life's problems. They help each other continuously as they both struggle to take care of themselves and survive in their worlds. On top of that, the two girls join together to help the local town's women setup a really to fight for women's rights. I loved this book and the message from start to finish! Great story!

Starting from Seneca Falls
by Karen Schwabach


Random House Children's
Random House Books for Young Readers
Children's Fiction | Historical Fiction
Pub Date 23 Jun 2020



I am reviewing a copy of Starting from Seneca Falls through Random Houde Books for Young Readers and Netgalley:





Birdie has experienced a series of wrongs in her life. First their was the potato famine in Ireland, later she was sent to the poorhouse In America when her Mothers new job didn’t turn out as expected, and then she becomes an orphan.







The latest wrong is probably the worst though. Birdie finds herself having to work for a family that is so abusive, she’s afraid she won’t survive if she doesn’t escape. She decides she is going to run away to Seneca Falls New York, in 1848, Seneca Falls is a town full of possibilities. It is in Seneca Falls she makes friends with Rose, a girl with her own list or wrongs, but she had big dreams too.





It is Rose who helps Birdie get a job with the strangest lady, Birdie ever met. A lady named Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Mrs. Stanton is planning a convention to talk about the rights of women. Rights for women is a new idea for both Birdie and Rose. The idea that women and girls could have rights is an idea that is hard to grasp, but they are sick of all the wrongs. Now maybe it’s a time for rights instead of wrongs.



I give Starting From Seneca Falls five out of five stars!



Happy Reading!

This historical fiction story covers some ground that isn’t frequently covered in middle grade books. Bridie and Rose are two female characters that represent challenges faced by people of the mid 1800s. Bridie is an immigrant from Ireland whose mother dies in the poor house and she needs to survive on her own. Rose is a free black girl who is also making her own way. Both girls are starting to realize the laws and social norms that are holding them back and they each have a strong desire to break out of those norms. The girls cross paths with some powerful historical characters in Frederick Douglass and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. It is interesting to read how the women’s movement and the abolitionist movement intersected. I also thought the setting of Seneca Falls with the canals in the backdrop was interesting.