Josiah in New York; Or, a Coupon from the Fresh Air Fund
Josiah in New York; Or, a Coupon from the Fresh Air Fund
This charming historical novel captures a moment in American history when the Fresh Air Fund sent city children to experience country life, and sometimes let farm kids return the visit. Young Josiah Shindle has spent a wonderful summer hosting children from New York on his family's quiet farm. Now he's making the reverse journey: traveling alone to the big city to see his new friends. But when he arrives at the station, chaos erupts. The crowds are overwhelming, the noise is deafening, and Tom and Bob are nowhere to be found. What begins as an exciting adventure quickly becomes a test of courage as Josiah must navigate Manhattan's bewildering streets alone, far from everything familiar. James Otis writes with gentle humor and genuine tenderness about the disorienting magic of a child encountering a world much larger than they knew existed. The book endures as a window into late 19th-century American life, when cities and countryside felt like different planets, and when a young person traveling alone could still find their way through simple courage and kindness.
