Bowery Girl

Reach for this book when your teenager is grappling with the complexities of social justice, systemic inequality, or the harsh realities of historical poverty. It serves as a powerful tool for discussing how individual agency and female friendship can flourish even under the most oppressive circumstances. The story follows two young women on the margins of 1890s New York, a pickpocket and a prostitute, as they attempt to transition from a life of survival to one of dignity through a settlement house. Parents will appreciate the raw, unsanitized look at the struggle for upward mobility and the way it validates a young person's burgeoning awareness of social class. Given the mature themes of sex work and crime, it is best suited for older teens capable of navigating realistic, grit-filled historical narratives that prioritize resilience over easy endings.