In 1870 over thirty thousand children lived on the streets in New York, and at the age of twelve Moth, the main character becomes one such child, if only for a short time. Had no idea the numbers were so large and that what happened to these children so heartbreaking. This is the story of Moth and also of Dr. Sadie, who tries to help the indigent in whatever small ways she can. Enjoyed this book, and the newspaper articles and small asides were a big plus, helping the reader really enter into this time period. Would have given it a four if not for the ending, which I thought was a bit anticlimactic and rushed. Dr. Sadie was actually modeled on the author's great great grandmother, which T think is wonderful. Very good book for understanding New York in this time period and for fully immersing the reader in the lives of two very interesting characters