Alexia Ellery Finsdale: San Francisco, 1908

As the daughter of a travelling con man in the early 1900s, motherless twelve-year-old Alexia has always faced many moral dillemas. But it's his latest potential victim that she feels the worst about, because it's a woman that has befriended Alexia and been like a mother to her. The woman is Mrs. Tanner, who runs the boardinghouse where Alexia and her father are currently staying. He finally gets a real job, but quits and decides to swindle Mrs. Tanner, then he will flee with Alexia to another city. Can Alexia finally find the courage within her to stand up to her father, and make her own dreams come true? Read to find out! There wasn't much action here, but it was an excellant book nonetheless.

As the American Diaries series progressed, I felt as if they were regressing in their style and interest. Then came this one. Reading the back it doesn't seem nearly as exciting as the others and can be mistaken for a sleeper. But it's actually the other way around. It was much better than those hugely descriptive action books in the series (except for Emma, that one was very good). Alexia is a character that you love. You connect with her more than many of the other Kathleen Duey characters. She wants to become a seamstress (ah-ha! Finally one with a dream!) and finally found a companion in the boarding house lady (who is also a seamstress). Her mother had died and she was constantly moving around. She loves her father very much and then faces a moral dilemma when he is going to try to swindle the seamstress. Finally, we come in touch with the character and sit on the edge of our seats... waiting to see what she will do! This is one of the best American Diaries books because of it's moral choices, not because of the so called action.

Another great American Diaries. Alexia, a 12 year old girl lives in 1905 San Francisco in a boarding house with her con-man father. He goes around cheating people out of their money and now his target is Alexia's true friend, Mrs. Tanner, the owner of the boarding house. Alexia has to stop this. But will she have the courage to do so?READ IT!

This is a great book. It is about Alexia Ellery Finsdale. Alexia's father cheats people out of their money. His next target is the widow who runs the boardinghouse Alexia and her father are staying at. Can Alexia stop him from cheating her one true friend?