Reviewed by Jennifer Senick for Readers' Favorite

Sometimes you have to break a few rules to figure out where you belong. In The Trolley to Renwick Park by Susan Gere Carter, seventeen-year-old Lucy Harmon lives in Ithaca, New York, in 1915, when young women are expected to marry and settle into traditional roles. She has other plans. Fascinated by moving pictures and determined to become an actress, she disguises herself as a boy named Joe and enters a shooting competition near Renwick Park, where brothers Ted and Leo Wharton are building a film studio. Before long, Lucy finds a way into the exciting new world of movies and even gets a chance to be part of the action. The problem is that everyone there knows her as Joe. At home, her family has no idea what the budding actress has been doing, and she knows they wouldn’t approve. She forms new friendships, finds a possible romance, and faces some difficult choices. Some people also challenge her views about race, women’s roles, relationships, and the future she hopes for herself. How long can Lucy lead two different lives before she has to decide who she truly wants to be?

The Trolley to Renwick Park by Susan Gere Carter was an interesting read, and I learned so much from it. I had no idea Ithaca was once a hub for filmmaking. Finding out about the Wharton Studio and the city’s place in early movie history was one of my favorite parts. I found myself rooting for Lucy. She’s independent and adventurous and isn’t afraid to take chances. At the same time, she makes mistakes and sometimes isn’t sure what she wants, which made her seem more like a real seventeen-year-old. I also liked the focus on how life was changing for women during this period, especially those who wanted something different from what was expected of them. Carter’s writing is descriptive without slowing things down, and I could easily picture many of the places Lucy visited. The pace was good, too, and there was always enough happening to hold my interest. The period details are worked into the storyline in a way that taught me quite a bit without making me feel like I was reading a textbook. Susan B. Anthony said, “Failure is impossible.” That quote fits Lucy well because setbacks don’t stop her from questioning the limits placed on her or pursuing a future of her own choosing. Anyone who enjoys historical fiction with strong female characters and actual details from the past should pick this one up.