great read will be looking for more. Passed this one on to mom.
Good book, content suitable for young readers- my 11 yr. old enjoyed it. Written from a 17 yr. old's point of view trying to homestead in Montana during WWI, nice insights on the homefront during the war and the difficulties of country life.
I must say, this is a good book. And I appreciate that it's completely clean. Still, Newbery Honor? I wouldn't have thought so. It's a nice story but not as well developed as I'd have liked. When you read the Little House books, you learn how to make butter, straw hats, or a well, right along with Laura. When you read about Hattie learning, all you learn is that she found out how to do it.
Also, I suspect that the author doesn't know how to cook. To read Hattie, you'd totally that it's easier to become a farmer than to learn how to cook. I doubt it.
The author's anti-war opinions are very evident throughout - it seems to be a major theme in the book. For a good (negative) review on that topic, see http://www.amazon.com/review/RIDFK8DG9QDV2/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm
Still, it's a fairly accurate, engaging historical fiction. An enjoyable read.