The Lottery Rose is a 1976 young adult novel by Newbery-winning author Irene Hunt. Though written at a middle-school reading level, this book is also suitable for high school readers due to high-interest subject matter.
Video The Lottery Rose
Plot
Georgie Burgess, seven and a half years old, lives in Tampa Florida. His mother and her boyfriend abuse him savagely, but he keeps their beatings a secret. He gets in trouble at school and hasn't learned to read, but he loves looking at a book with pictures of flowers.
Georgie's life changes after he wins a rosebush at a supermarket contest. After his mother's boyfriend beats him severely, police remove Georgie from his dangerous home, and his unplanted rosebush comes with him. Georgie is placed temporarily with Mrs. Sims, a cashier from the supermarket. But as his social worker and the judge find a home for him, Georgie is increasingly worried about finding a home for his rosebush.
When Georgie is placed in a Catholic boys' boarding school, he is convinced that his rosebush belongs in the garden of the neighbors across the road. Though principal Sister Mary Angela tries to convince Georgie to plant it elsewhere, Georgie sneaks out at night to plant his rosebush there. The next morning, however, the infuriated neighbor, Molly Harper, rips the bush out of her garden and returns it to the school, demanding to see the principal.
Georgie returns to the garden with the bush and discovers that while planting his rosebush in the dark, he has accidentally crushed the lilies planted for Molly Harper by her husband. Mrs. Harper confronts Georgie and threatens to burn his rosebush if he plants it again, but she softens upon glimpsing the infected wounds on Georgie's back left by the abuse of his past.
During the confrontation, Georgie becomes ill and collapses into unconsciousness. While Georgie is delirious with fever, Mrs. Harper arranges to have the rosebush replanted in her garden and visits Georgie often. However, with her angry threat still in his mind, Georgie is unable to forgive Mrs. Harper and refuses to see her.
As Georgie recovers, he forms a friendship with Timothy, whom Sister Mary Angela calls her "public relations" boy. Timothy explains that Mrs. Harper's husband and elder son, Paul, were recently killed in a car accident. Mrs. Harper's grief makes it difficult for her to be around boys the age of her dead son.
Meanwhile, Georgie becomes friends with Mrs. Harper's younger son, Robin, who has severe cognitive impairments, and his grandfather, Mr. Collier. While Mr. Collier helps Georgie learn to read, Georgie tries to teach Robin to speak and helps him feed the ducks at the pond. Georgie becomes closer and closer to the Harper family, playing with Robin and joining the gardener as his apprentice, but he is still unable to forgive Mrs. Harper for threatening his rosebush.
Maps The Lottery Rose
Characters
- Georgie Burgess - a seven-year-old boy who lives with his mother in Tampa, Florida. He is the main character. Gets abused from his mother, Rennie Burgess, and her boyfriend, Steve.
- Rennie Burgess - Georgie's mother, an alcoholic who was herself beaten as a child and who also beat her child
- Steve - Rennie's boyfriend, who beats and who physically abuses Georgie
- Miss Ellen Ames - Georgie's school librarian
- Miss Cressman - Georgie's 1st grade teacher; hates Georgie because Georgie never listened in class and started a fire under her car
- Mrs. Sims - Georgie's neighbor who works as a supermarket clerk; temporary foster mother to Georgie
- Judge O' Neill - the judge of Georgie's case; a rose fancier
- Sister Mary Angela - Director and music teacher at Georgie's new school
- Sister Monica - a nun/teacher at Georgie's new school
- Timothy - Georgie's friend at the new school and Sister Mary Angela's "public relations" boy
- Mrs. Molly Harper - an actress who lives across the street from the new school
- Paul - Molly Harper's recently deceased elder son
- Mr. Harper - Molly Harper's deceased husband
- Rosita - Molly Harper's housekeeper
- Mr. Hugh Collier - Father of Molly Harper; teaches Georgie to read
- Robin (Robert) - Younger son of Molly Harper; has cognitive impairments and is mostly non-verbal
- Amanda- Robin's caretaker; nicknamed "Coca-Cola Amanda"; known to be lazy and idle
- Old Eddie - Molly Harper's gardener
Extra Characters:
"Social Worker Woman" - Friend of Judge O' Neill
'* 'The school janitor
- Young policeman", Nurses, and others - they transport Georgie to the boys' home, after Georgie escapes from Steve's beatings
- Sister Dolores - a teacher/nun
- Richie Barnes - 13 year - old bully at Georgie's new school.
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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