Emily, Across the James Bay Bridge

Carol L. MacKay is a children’s librarian living in Bawlf, Alberta.

The year is 1896 and, as the introduction explains, the city of Victoria
has electricity, running water, and twice-a-day mail delivery,
conveniences that many areas of Canada do not enjoy. Emily Murdoch lives
in the James Bay District of Victoria, B.C., and wants a bicycle for her
11th birthday. She’s an adventuresome girl, who, like most kids, wants
to fit in with her group of friends and also, like most kids,
occasionally gets into trouble because of it.

Emily’s middle-class family employs a Chinese servant named Hing, who
cooks and cleans for them. Although she has been exposed to the racist
comments and attitudes of her own community toward the Chinese, Emily is
curious about Hing’s life in Chinatown, which is located on the other
side of the James Bay Bridge. She decides to sneak off—without
permission—to explore Hing’s world by herself.

Julie Lawson captures the sights and sounds of Victoria’s landscape,
on both sides of the bridge, with vivid details that will help young
readers place themselves in Emily’s time. The character of Emily is
likeable and sympathetic, and the story itself is compelling. While the
story concludes satisfactorily, one is left with the impression that
much more could be written about Emily and her 19th-century adventures.
Recommended.