Hellie Jondoe

by Randall Platt

Book Overview

A heart of steel can't be stolen--unless the thief is Hellie Jondoe. It's 1918. A war of nations is ending and a worldwide flu epidemic just heating up, but to thirteen-year-old Hellie, the only battle that counts is her own survival. An orphan by four, a beggar by six, Hellie--as apprentice pickpocket to her brother Harry--is now "the best dang cannon of moveable property between Satan's Circus and Hell's Kitchen." She's as tough as she is resourceful...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0896726630
• ISBN13: 9780896726635
• Release Date: November 2009
• Publisher: Texas Tech University Press
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.9" x 8.8"
• Age Range: 11 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 6 to 9

Customer Reviews

Charming story

Set in 1918, Hellie Jondoe tells the story of a headstrong young orphan trapped in a series of events beyond her control. Hellie and her brother are orphaned at a young age, and forced to live on rough and tumble city streets. Hellie learns early on that you can't trust anyone, perhaps not even your family. After their gang turns on Hellie and her brother, Hellie is put on an orphan train heading west. During her journey, Hellie is saddled with two orphans who come to rely on her for protection. Upon arrival in Oregon, Hellie and her companions discover they've been indentured for three years, giving Hellie authority figures and a home for the first time in her life. Despite a rough start on the ranch, she comes to realize that she's also gained an extended family. I loved reading Hellie's story. Randall Platt brings the period and region alive through her imagery and dialogue. It's so easy to identify with the characters and celebrate their growth during the story. Best of all, I love finding wholesome, engaging stories about young women who embrace the value of their own truths. by Becca Taylor for Story Circle Book Reviews reviewing books by, for, and about women

A very entertaining and riveting story that should not be ignored

Being hardened by one's environment doesn't make it impossible to lighten up. "Hellie Jondoe" tells the story of an east coast orphan girl who after a rough early child hood goes to Oregon to live under a western ranch woman. Not only does she have to answer to authority for the first time, but she seems to have to care for others. A charming story of a early twentieth century orphan, "Hellie Jondoe" is a very entertaining and riveting story that should not be ignored.

Hell on wheels--or off

Hellie has a head for survival and a strong sense of justice and loyalty. Forced to steal at an early age in order to survive, she becomes wily and head-strong. Not really knowing the difference between love and simple bonding, she learns a lesson of attachment when she ends up in the west. The book explores a lot of history from around the turn of the 20th century--of polio, a deadly flu, and the differences between east coast and west. This book has messages on several levels and is an excellent book for teens and tweens.