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Nellie's Promise (American Girl: Samantha) by Valerie Tripp


Summary (from the publisher): After being orphaned, Nellie and her two younger sisters find hope when Samantha's family in New York City wants to adopt the girls, but when Uncle Mike shows up and threatens to ruin it all, Nellie must find a way to keep her promise to her dying mother without losing her new family. Simultaneous.

Review: This is such a wonderful story that picks up where the sixth full-length Samantha book leaves off but is written from Nellie's perspective. Nellie has had such a pitiful life story to date, and it's a relief to see her in a happy and secure household. But Nellie still fears her Uncle Mike showing up to claim her and her little sisters. 

I think this story feels very relatable in that it is natural that trying to assimilate into yet another household/family/school would be a tremendous mental load for a young girl who has lost both of her parents. Nellie is relieved but cautious to accept her good fortune, which makes perfect sense given her history. While she and Samantha are both orphans, Nellie has experienced real hardships due to her background and losses. She is practical in that she wants real skills to fall back on and legal proof that she can remain with her new family. I love how levelheaded and practical she is, even while trying to honor her family and her friendships. 

I also think this book felt very relatable in the way it handled friendship. Samantha and Nellie have a lot of miscommunication and tense moments in this book. This is something everyone will experience at some point, and it was a great life lesson for my children to see how uncomfortable this feels but how ultimately the girls talked to address and resolve their issues. 

As always, loved the peek into the past section after the conclusion of the story that gave some real historical context and photographs. This one was particularly meaningful because it showed the plight of orphans in the early 1900s, including glimpses of orphanages and orphan trains. 

Stars: 4

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