Hattie Big SkyNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NEWBERY HONOR AWARD WINNER A classic YA novel about a teenage girl searching for a sense of home and family that celebrates the true spirit of independence on the American frontier. For most of her life, sixteen-year-old Hattie Brooks has been shuttled from one distant relative to another. Tired of being Hattie Here-and-There, she summons the courage to leave Iowa and move all by herself to Vida, Montana, to prove up on her late uncle’s homestead claim. Under the big sky, Hattie braves hard weather, hard times, a cantankerous cow, and her own hopeless hand at the cookstove. Her quest to make a home is championed by new neighbors Perilee Mueller, her German husband, and their children. For the first time in her life, Hattie feels part of a family, finding the strength to stand up against Traft Martin’s schemes to buy her out and against increasing pressure to be a “loyal” American at a time when anything—or anyone—German is suspect. Despite daily trials, Hattie continues to work her uncle’s claim until an unforeseen tragedy causes her to search her soul for the real meaning of home. This young pioneer's story is lovingly stitched together from Kirby Larson’s own family history and the sights, sounds, and scents of homesteading life. |
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Arlington asked Aunt Ivy Aunt Ivy's baby baking barn breath bucket Charlie Chase chicken chokecherry chores claim coffee coulee Council of Defense dance Dawson County door Ebgard Elmer eyes face fence Fern finished flax folks girl going grabbed hand Hanson Hattie Inez Brooks Holt's homestead horse inside Karl Karl Mueller Karl's Kirby Larson knew laughed Leafie Leafie's letter Liberty Bond looked Lottie Mabel Mama Mattie Mattie's milk Miss Brooks Montana Dear Mulie Nefzger neighbors night nodded patted Perilee Perilee's picked Plug prairie pulled quilt rocks Rooster Jim rubbed Saboe Schillinger shook his head slipped smiled snickerdoodles stepped stitches stood stopped stove supper sure sweet tell Thank thing thought told took Traft Martin turned Uncle Chester's Uncle Holt Violet voice wagon walked warm west of Vida Whiskers Wolf Point words