Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this Newbery Honor novel takes place during World War I, and Americans of German descent are discriminated against, sometimes violently, though nothing worse than a barn-burning and a kick actually takes place here. Also, there is a scene of childbirth. The unabridged audio version is read by Kirsten Potter.
Families who read this book could discuss the hatred and bigotry expressed by some of the characters in this book. Why do they act this way? Are the characters' fears reasonable given that the country is at war? Are there any parallels to today?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Matt Berman
This warmhearted and gritty story of early 20th-century pioneering is more realistic than most novels of this genre. The bad guys are not quite as bad as they seem, things don't always work out as you might hope, people die unexpectedly of unadventurous things such as disease, and life is hard but never unremittingly bleak. The little moments of friendship and kindness shine out brighter than all the fires and hailstorms, and the result is not rose-tinted, but recognizably true.
In addition to the riveting frontier survival story, and the tension of the anti-German sentiment, the characters here are unusually delightful. Hattie, who tells her own story in a sensible, self-deprecating style; Leafie, a leathery, no-nonsense old woman upon whom everyone relies; Chase, an 8-year-old wise beyond his years; and many others all serve to keep the reader engaged not only with the story, but with the people who live it.
The only sour note comes in the About the Author page at the back and on the flap -- apparently the author has some scores to settle, and has chosen this inappropriate place to do it.
From The Book
A smarter girl than me might have wobbled a bit at the thought of heading west to prove up a claim. I had lived on a farm with some cousins for six months and I helped Uncle Holt with his vegetable garden every year, but that was the extent of my agricultural expertise. I pushed all doubts and worries away the moment they crept into my thoughts. All I could see was the chance to leave Aunt Ivy and that feeling of being the one odd sock behind.
Plot Summary:
During World War I, Hattie is an orphan passed from relative to relative, when she receives word that an uncle has left her a homesteading claim in Montana. With nothing to stay for, she heads West alone, only to find that the claim is a shack, a Montana winter is setting in, and she has less than a year to fence the land, plant crops and pay the fees, or else lose the claim.
She is warmly welcomed by her immediate neighbors, with whom she becomes fast friends. But she has a lot to battle: brutal weather, her own inexperience and loneliness, and bigoted locals who seek to punish those of German descent, their friends, and anyone they think is insufficiently patriotic. Includes recipes, Author's Note, and a reading list.
Related Books:
Life on the Frontier:
Brothers of the Heart by Joan W. Blos
Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink
Weasel by Cynthia DeFelice
Calico Bush by Rachel Field
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
Save Queen of Sheba by Louise Moeri
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
The Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Promised Land by Isabelle Holland
Related Web Sites:
Author's Site
Official Site
WWI Research Site
State and Family Research
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Sexual ContentA childbirth scene. |
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ViolenceA group of rough racists harass and kick an older man and set fire to a barn. Kids throw rocks at other kids. |
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Social BehaviorSome kids and adults hate and harass others because they are German, but the main character stands up for them. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoChewing tobacco, cigarettes, pipes, wine, and whiskey all mentioned. |
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