Last in a Long Line of Rebels

By Lisa Lewis Tyre

A girl races to save her home by unearthing hidden family secrets and confronting enduring prejudices.

4.0/5 Goodreads · 1,189 ratings

304 pages

$8.99Save 7%

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Bookroo's summary

Twelve-year-old Lou faces the demolition of her Civil War-era home. To save it, she must uncover a rumored treasure or secure its historic status. As she delves into her family's past, Lou discovers ancestors who were slave owners, renegades, and abolitionists. Her journey reveals that old prejudices still linger in her town, challenging her to fight for justice and understand her roots. Will Lou's discoveries change her town's future, or will history repeat itself?

From the publisher

Sheila Turnage meets Kate DiCamillo’s Because of Winn-Dixie in this debut about a small town and a young girl who discovers some old family secrets. Lou might be only twelve, but she’s never been one to take things sitting down. So when her Civil War-era house is about to be condemned, she’s determined to save it–either by getting it deemed a historic landmark or by finding the stash of gold rumored to be hidden nearby during the war. As Lou digs into the past, her eyes are opened when she finds that her ancestors ran the gamut of slave owners, renegades, thieves and abolitionists. Meanwhile, some incidents in her town show her that many Civil War era prejudices still survive and that the past can keep repeating itself if we let it. Digging into her past shows Lou that it’s never too late to fight injustice, and she starts to see the real value of understanding and exploring her roots.

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