Prairie Lotus, by Linda Sue Park. Clarion Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Raincoast. 2020. $22.99 ages 10 and up ages

"Although she and Papa had never spoken of it, she had gradually come to realize what leaving California had meant for her future. In the Chinatowns of Los Angeles and San Francisco, there were so many men and so few women that she might have been able to marry a Chinese man, despite being half-white. But the further east they went, the fewer Asians they had seen, and here in the eastern half of the Dakota Territory, ... "

The challenges of the long days of travel come to an end after three years: now, in LaForge, the two are faced with further concerns. In this new town, there are no Asian faces. Hanna's father is seeking a better life for the two of them. Her Chinese mother has died, after teaching her young daughter dressmaking skills that should ensure work in her father's new store. Hanna has to convince her father of that, and deal with the town's rampant prejudice toward a young mixed-race girl in 1880. She wants to finish her schooling before becoming the seamstress she so badly wants to be. While many of the townsfolk, and in turn their children, are unkind to Hanna, she uses all the lessons she has learned from her wise and gentle mother to overcome their racism with dignity and as much warmth as she can muster.

Readers of the Little House on the Prairie books will find similarities when reading Hanna's descriptions of food, life on the frontier, the construction of new buildings and available fabrics and dressmaking details. Her quiet, observant nature allows many memorable moments, including her encounters with a group of women and children from a nearby Ihanktonwan community who teach her skills she can use at home. Luckily, hints at humor throughout offer respite from some of the meanness Hanna faces.

Reading this book, alongside the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, helps children look closely at historical events. It is a powerful and impressive tale about a young girl who yearns to fulfill her dreams: education, meaningful work, and finding a true friend.