Based on a true story, this charming juvenile novel tells of how eleven-year-old Rosie and her grandmother Bubba Sarah arrive in Toronto from Russia after fleeing one of the purges that carried away Rosie's mother, a famous Russian dancer. To help make ends meet, Rosie works in Yitzy's factory sewing velvet capes for Eatons, all the while dreaming of making such a cape from scraps, and wearing it to Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre. Although Yitzy warns Rosie, "don't steal the scraps," she cannot resist, and each evening when she dumps the scraps in the garbage, she hides the best ones in her apron. This tale provides a wonderful insight into how an immigrant child survives with her values and dreams intact despite the harsh working conditions of a 1921 garment factory.
"A touching story of heartbreak and joy, delicately stitched together into a young girl's dream."
—Cathy Beveridge, author of Chaos in Halifax
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