‘The American flags on the roof seemed miles and miles away in the blue, blue sky. I looked along the street, and the building seemed to go on forever.’ 

Ireland, 1911 – young sisters Sally and Bridget are leaving their home in the Irish countryside, and everything they know, to seek out a new life far away in New York. 

On their journey across the sea, they meet a young orphaned girl, Julia, who is travelling alone in the hope of staying with her long-absent brother. Life in the City of Dreams is more difficult for the three young friends than they ever could have imagined. But despite the challenges, the girls begin to find their way in this strange new place. With friendship they can face anything – together. 

‘No matter how far you are from home, having a warm hand to hold makes everything a small bit better.’ 

Award-winning, best-selling, and one of Ireland’s most loved children’s writers, this is Judi Curtin’s 30th book, and this time, she looks to her own family for inspiration as she tells the story of two sisters who emigrate to America from rural Ireland in 1911. Like Sally, Judi’s grandmother Mary Anne left Ireland for New York in the early 1900s.