"Set against a backdrop of poverty, The Times of Laura Grey takes us to a time in America’s history when the future seemed to promise little. Seen through the eyes of a child, however, small details loom large, and almost anything is possible. This is a story of hope, written with clarity and empathy for a girl who is wryly self-aware of her own foibles. In true Dickensian spirit, it might be called an update on A Christmas Carol." —Judith Kitchen, author of The House on Eccles Road