Friday, May 15, 2020

The Trunk of Stars

The Trunk of Stars

In The Trunk of Stars, Cairo hates the life she's stuck with. Having no family but the nefarious crime ring who found her as a baby in an abandoned trunk, Cairo dreams of the day when she'll be loved and listened to. She has never known the love of a mother and father nor the security of a stable home.

Like a traveling circus, the Finch "Family" moves from town to town, pitching their tent as lodging and systematically swindling the townspeople out of their valuables--either by trickery or theft. These are then auctioned off at the next town they stop at. Cairo is expected to do her part by "lifting" valuables from the homes they visit or by pickpocketing.

The only connection she has to her past life is the trunk she was found in. It's the one thing of beauty in her life. She loves to open its lid and see the beautiful scene painted inside. She used it for a bed until she got too big; now she just snuggles up next to it each night trying to conjure up memories of her parents. As long as she has her trunk, she has a piece of her parents.

And then her circumstances take a surprising--and not entirely happy--turn.  Cairo is faced with a decision to stay with the only family she knows or seek out a different future for herself. Full of mystery and suspense, readers will wonder if Cairo will ever know the love of a family. I highly recommend this book for elementary and middle school readers.  Families may want to read together and discuss the weighty topic of Cairo's mistreatment and the challenge of learning to trust people. I look forward to the next installment in The Stolen Treasures series! 

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of The Trunk of Stars from BookSirens for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received and the opinions expressed are my own.

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