This book is about a seventeen year old girl, Mattie, who is in charge of taking care of her father and three younger sisters after her mother�s death. Mattie is extremely bright and wants to go to New York and become a writer, but her family is against it. After many setbacks, Mattie gives up on her dream and decides to stay where she is and get married. But then some life changing events occur that make her realize she belongs in college in New York.
The characters are believable. Mattie has strengths and weaknesses. She is selfless and caring when it comes to her family, but she ignores her own dreams and wants in order to please everyone around her. The characters personalities are consistent with their ages and backgrounds. Her father, for instance, is stubborn and believes she should stay on the farm and raise a family like the other girls. Characters are revealed through dialogue, their actions, and Mattie�s thoughts. Character growth is definitely shown, both with Mattie�s character and with Weaver�s character. Mattie finds her voice and finally goes after what she wants after reading Grace�s letters. Weaver on the other hand, has his spirit broken after his mother�s house is burned and his college money is stolen. Even though this story is set about one hundred years ago, it�s easy to identify with the characters.
The events that take place are realistic. The murder is actually based on a true story. The ending is hopeful, but not exactly happy. Mattie is leaving to go to college and has left Weaver enough money to go to college as well. The reader doesn�t know if the two of them ever make it to college or not though. The book definitely tells a good story. The reader will want to know what is going to happen with Mattie and Royal�s relationship and how Minnie�s pregnancy will go. The story is very fast paced. The plot is original in that the murder is incorporated into the story and because of the unique characters, such as Emily Baxter. The plot jumps back and forth between present time and a few months into the past, which is sometimes a little confusing. The plot has several climaxes, not just one, such as Weaver�s house burning down and Mattie�s whole family becoming seriously ill. The plot is realistic to the time period and doesn�t overwhelm the reader with historical details.
The setting is believable. The story takes place in the Adirondacks in New York. The author never states the time period, but the reader can figure it out because of the lack of cars and farm machinery. The setting is very important because the little town atmosphere impacts how the characters interact with one another. Also a main point of the plot is that Mattie doesn�t have the money or transportation to make it to New York City. This wouldn�t be as big a problem if the time period were later, or she didn�t live in such a remote area. The setting is vividly described. The reader will be able to picture the farm along with the resort where Mattie works. She says at one point, �I can smell the pines and the roses and the lake on the night air�� and I could imagine the scene perfectly.
The theme is the universal one of not giving up on your dreams and learning to follow your heart. The story isn�t overpowered by the theme, but emerges naturally as we see Mattie�s struggle to follow her heart without hurting her family, and Emily Baxter�s willingness to do whatever it takes to write poetry, even if it means running away from her husband and lying about who she is. The theme is one that applies to any time period and any culture.
The writing is straightforward and the dialogue seems natural and appropriate to the time period. There are quite a few slang terms that are used which are easy to understand, although the author doesn�t define them. For instance, �keeping company� and �sparking� mean the same thing as dating. The narration and dialogue are balanced well. The mood is slightly depressing, but does have hopeful moments, such as when Mattie gets the acceptance letter from college. The point of view is appropriate, which is first person from Mattie�s perspective. It gives the reader a good look into what it would have been like to be Mattie.
This is a story that takes the common idea of a teenager wanting to go out on her own and puts a unique spin on it by setting the plot in the past and creating unique circumstances surrounding Mattie�s life, such as Grace�s murder. The story will keep readers interested and will appeal to any teenager who has ever wanted to leave their town and make a life for themselves somewhere else.
