Last of the Name

Ages 10 to 14, Grades 5 to 8

A compelling, high-stakes story of an immigrant's experience amidst class and racial tensions

Twelve-year-old Danny O'Carolan and his sister, Kathleen, arrive in New York City in 1863, at the height of the Civil War. Kathleen finds a job in domestic service for herself and Danny, hoping to keep Danny from being drafted into the US Army as a drummer boy. As he explores the city and shares his talent for Irish dancing, Danny discovers the vast variety of New York's neighborhoods. With the threat of the draft pitting Irish immigrants against the free Black population, stoking tensions between the rich and the poor, and threatening the life Danny hopes to build, can he find a safe place to call home?

About the Author

Rosanne Parry is the author of six middle grade novels. The most recent are Last of the Name and A Wolf Called Wander. She is a part-time bookseller at legendary Portland independent bookstore, Annie Blooms, and is the captain of the League of Exceptional Writers, a free mentoring workshop for young avid readers and writers, sponsored by the Oregon SCBWI and Powell's Bookstore. She lives with her family in an historic farmhouse and writes in a treehouse in her backyard.