Sally in the City of Dreams by Judi Curtin ~ Blog Tour & Author Interview

Sally in the City of Dreams is a charming story of two Irish sisters, Sally and Bridget, who set off across the ocean for a new life in 1911 New York. Full of hope and the promise of endless possibilities, they find themselves facing challenges they never imagined. The kindness and honesty of the girls shines through encouraging the reader to root for them every step of the way.

Themes of racism, poverty, class systems and immigration paint an authentic picture of what life was like for the thousands of people who made this life-changing journey.

It’s my pleasure to welcome author Judi Curtin to Scope for Imagination to tell us a bit more about the story and her inspirations.

This is a story of huge hopes and dreams. How can your readers apply this to their own lives?

That’s a big question! I suppose Sally, Bridget and Julia always do well when they work together and help each other. Hopes and dreams are easier to attain when you proceed with kindness, and know how to ask for assistance when necessary. Also, there’s often room for stepping out of your comfort zone.

What were your inspirations for the charming and determined characters of Sally and Bridget?

The story was inspired by the lives of my grandmother and her sister who, like Sally and Bridget, travelled to New York in the early 1900s. The personalities of my characters are all their own though. When I started, I knew that one of the girls was going to be very feisty, and  liable to get into the occasional scrape, while the other would be more reflective and cautious.

Throughout the story, the girls experience prejudice because they are Irish. When researching this story, what did you discover about how Irish people were treated in early 20^th century New York?

I read a lot, and discovered that discrimination against the Irish was fairly widespread. There was a belief that Irish people were lazy and dishonest and not to be relied upon. Newspaper job ads at the time often ended with the horrible words – No Irish Need Apply. (This was disputed for many years, but finally proven in 2015 by an American schoolgirl called Rebecca Fried.)

Can you tell us a bit more about the name “Bridget”?

Bridget is a lovely old Irish name meaning ‘exalted one.’ In the early 1900’s it was one of the most common names for Irish girls. Unfortunately, in New York at the time, the name became a shorthand for a troublesome Irish woman.

You’ve shared so much detail about the experience of starting a new life in New York in 1911. What was the most surprising information you discovered when researching?

My grandmother never mentioned any of the discrimination mentioned above, so that came as a big surprise. (I’m not sure if she had a better experience, or chose to brush it out of her story!) Generally, the Irish are popular in America these days, so it was interesting to see the earlier perspective – a reminder for how we treat immigrants to our country.

Sally in the City of Dreams is the first in a new middle grade series. What can we look forward to next?

I haven’t made any firm plans, but it’s very likely that my next book will continue the story of Sally, Bridget and Julia. I have a few ideas of how that will look – but none I’m prepared to share just yet – sorry!

Follow the rest of the blog tour to find out more about this lovely book!

Books by Kate Heap:

Click on the image to purchase from Bookshop.org:

Purchase from Amazon:

Disclosure: If you buy books using the links above, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org whose fees support independent bookshops. As an Amazon Associate, Scope for Imagination earns from qualifying purchases.