A Little Girl of Long Ago; Or, Hannah Ann: A Sequel to a Little Girl in Old New York

The year is 1846. New York City hums with the particular energy of a world poised between the old and the new - gaslit streets, horse-drawn carriages, the faint tremor of modernization. At the center of this bustling landscape is Hannah Ann Underhill, a girl of remarkable curiosity and quiet insight, whose days are filled with the small triumphs and disappointments that make up a childhood. This sequel to "A Little Girl in Old New York" follows Hannah through a pivotal year, one that opens with the ringing of bells and the firing of pistols on New Year's morning. She and her family discuss the remarkable fact that in four short years, the world will reach the half-century mark - an event that seems impossibly ancient to a young girl, yet threads of change are woven throughout her daily life: the excitement of concerts and social gatherings, the subtle shifts in societal expectations, the particular dramas of sibling and friend relationships. Amanda M. Douglas renders 1840s New York with meticulous affection, capturing both the period's charms and its constraints through Hannah's eyes. The novel pulses with genuine childhood wonder - Hannah grapples with profound questions about life and possibility while navigating the immediate concerns of friendships, family dynamics, and the excitement of upcoming events.