16. Ivy by Julie Hearn

Ivy by Julie Hearn
ISBN: 1416925066
Ginee Seo Books, New York, 2008
368 pages

Teaser: Red-haired Ivy has little to do with the path her life takes. First kidnapped by a gang of thieves, then used as a pliant model by a Pre-Raphaelite artist, Ivy floats through life on a cloud of laudanum. Will she be able to fight her addiction and gain control of her own life?

Summary: Ivy is denounced at birth by her superstitious father for her red hair, and is a rather peculiar child. At the age of five she is kidnapped by a group of thieves who wish to use her as a lure to draw rich children away from their minders so the thieves can steal their expensive clothes right off their backs. When Ivy suffers nightmares after her first job, she is dosed with laudanum to keep her quiet. Ten years later she is firmly addicted to the drug, and has returned to her less than loving family after her mentor was caught during a theft. Ivy's looks attract the attention of a Pre-Raphaelite artist, who decides he must have her as his model. Ivy's family quickly secures the job for Ivy, and sends the apathetic girl off to her job, uncaring of the possible intentions of the artist. While Ivy's family assumes that the artist has less than pure thoughts, the artist is so consumed with his work that he really sees Ivy as little more than a pretty doll to dress up. Ivy eventually starts to come out of her laudanum addiction, and begins to volunteer at a shelter for dogs.

As Ivy's mind clears, she realizes that she dislikes modeling, and really would prefer to do something more like the work with the dogs. The shelter offers her a modest position, consisting of little more than room and board, with possible pay in the future. Ivy does not accept the offer, worried about what her family will say if she quits her well paying modeling job to work for nothing more than a place to stay and food. The artist she models for eventually decides that he would like to move to the country, and wants Ivy to stay with him as his model. Due to the way the public would view this, he tells Ivy that he will have to marry her, and he will make sure to take good care of her. Fed up with being treated like a pet, posed and told to sit still for hours, and now informed that she will of course marry the artist because it is the only proper way for her to stay with him, Ivy decides to instead accept the offer to work at the shelter, and leaves both her greedy family and the oblivious artists behind.

Evaluation: This book feels as if it were a story played out behind a pane of glass. The slightly detached feeling surprisingly appropriate however, as the main character spends much of her time drifting through life in a drugged haze. The book also has a cadence to it that suggests it would be an excellent book to read out loud. According to the author's note at the end of the book, the story was inspired by the painting Beata Beatrix, which featured Lizzie Siddal, the woman the story was loosely based off of. Lizzie Siddal was an artist who is best remembered not for her work, but as Dante Gabriel Rossetti's red haired model. Lizzie died of a fatal laudanum overdose, which inspired the painting mentioned in the book, featuring a red crow giving a white poppy to a sad, pale, and sickly red haired woman. Ivy was written as a sort of happier ending version of Lizzie, a girl who manages to overcome her addiction and find her own place.

The Victorian slums feel about right, with details similar to other books set in that era. The patronizing attitudes of the benevolent rich seemed to be appropriate. The presence of a Ragged School is also accurate, as far as I can tell. Philanthropists engaged in various good works, aimed at deserving poor, including hundreds of small schools for children. Crime, propriety, and other details mix together to create a historical feel. Ivy is well characterized, growing from a simple child of five years old into a woman who has spent much of her life in a drugged haze. As she fights her addiction, her mind clears and a definite backbone develops, eventually leading to a decision to make her own way in a job she honestly enjoys.

Challenge issues: Ivy is addicted to laudanum for much of the story. Theft, crime, and sex are discussed, though there are no explicit sexual parts. There is also a character who cross-dresses, though this is not realized for much of the book. I'd recommend this book for teens 14 and up.