Palace Beautiful

Description

A secret room plus a hidden journal written during the Flu Pandemic of 1918 make for an emotional, magical middle-grade read.

When sisters Sadie and Zuzu move to Salt Lake City, they discover an old journal in a secret room in their new house. Along with their neighbor, Bella, the girls take turns reading the story of a girl named Helen who lived during the flu epidemic of 1918. They soon become wrapped up in Helen’s tale, which ends with a tragedy that has a scary parallel to Sadie and Zuzu’s lives. Did Helen survive the flu? Is she still alive somewhere? Or could her ghost be watching them?

A NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing“Debut author Williams’s vivid prose brings both Sadie and Helen’s worlds to life. . . Through moments of heartache and joy, Sadie’s strong, contemplative spirit shines through, as does the thrill of discovering a secret place of one’s one.” –Publishers Weekly
 
“When Sadie and Zuzu’s family moves from Texas to their grandmother’s house in Salt Lake City, they explore an attic cubby (marked ‘Palace Beautiful’) and discover a diary written by a young girl who lived in the house during the flu epidemic of 1918. . . The journal entries are the heart of the story.” –Kirkus ReviewsSarah DeFord Williams lives in Salt Lake City with her husband and three children. In addition to writing and spending time with her family, she loves being outdoors-especially in the mountains. She also plays guitar, sings, and enjoys songwriting. This is her first book.US