The Red Rose Box

Written by Brenda Woods

A surprise gift leads Leah to California, but can newfound freedom replace home?

4.0 Goodreads · 309 ratings

136 pages· 31,558 words· Est. 4.5 hour read· 830L

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Bookroo's summary

Leah's tenth birthday brings an unexpected gift from Aunt Olivia—a red rose box with tickets to California. Leaving 1958 Louisiana's constraints, Leah and her sister Ruth find Hollywood's allure. But when tragedy strikes back home, they're forced to stay. Can Leah find a sense of belonging in this new world, or will the pull of home prove too strong? Discover the journey of two sisters navigating freedom and identity in a land of dreams.

From the publisher

On her tenth birthday, Leah receives a surprise gift from glamorous Aunt Olivia, Mama’s only sister, who lives in Los Angeles. It is a red rose box. Not many people in 1958 Louisiana have seen such a beautiful traveling case, covered with red roses, filled with jewelry, silk bedclothes, expensive soaps…and train tickets to California. Soon after, Leah and her sister, Ruth, find themselves in Hollywood, far away from cotton fields and Jim Crow laws. To Leah, California feels like freedom. But when disaster strikes back home, Leah and Ruth have to stay with Aunt Olivia permanently. Will freedom ever feel like home?