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Summary
Summary
Fans of the Little House books will fall in love with Esther.
Thanks to her superstitious mother, Esther knows some tricks for avoiding bad luck: toss salt over your left shoulder, never button your shirt crooked, and avoid black cats. But even luck can't keep her family safe from the Great Depression. When Pa loses his job, Esther's family leaves their comfy Chicago life behind for a farm in Wisconsin.
Living on a farm comes with lots of hard work, but that means there are plenty of opportunities for Esther to show her mother how helpful she can be. She loves all of the farm animals (except the mean geese) and even better makes a fast friend in lively Bethany. But then Ma sees a sign that Esther just knows is wrong. If believing a superstition makes you miserable, how can that be good luck?
Debut author Gayle Rosengren brings the past to life in this extraordinary, hopeful story.
Author Notes
Gayle Rosengren received a degree in creative writing from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. Before becoming a full-time author, she worked as a children's and young adult librarian, a reference librarian, and as a copyeditor at American Girl. Many of her short stories for children were published in Cricket, Ladybug, Jack and Jill, and Children's Digest magazines. Her novels include Cold War on Maplewood Street and What the Moon Said.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8-When Esther's Ma sees a ring around the moon, she says it is a sign of bad things to come. Sure enough, it isn't long before Pa loses his job and the family has to leave their home in Chicago for life on a Wisconsin farm. Esther and her siblings are not used to farm life, but the neighbors are kind, and Pa is sure that he can fix up the run-down farmhouse. As Esther settles into her new surroundings, she focuses on pleasing Ma. Esther hopes that if she is an obedient daughter, Ma might finally show affection toward her. But soon Esther is forced to make a terrible choice. Rosengren offers a realistic portrayal of a family's struggle to keep hope alive during the Great Depression. The theme of family, specifically the relationship between mother and daughter, is central to the story. Narrator Laural Merlington gives appropriate accents to Esther's immigrant parents and does well differentiating among a cast of predominantly female characters. VERDICT Fans of Little House on the Prairie will appreciate this touching family story. ["Readers who enjoy historical fiction or mother/daughter relationship stories may enjoy this quiet tale": SLJ 2/14 review of the Putnam book.]-Amanda Spino, Ocean County Library, Pt. Pleasant Borough, NJ © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
A ring around the moon, a dream about a wedding, and rain at the outset of a journey are all causes for alarm in the mind of Esther Vogel's Russian immigrant mother. Her superstitions, combined with a lack of physical affection, make (nearly) 10-year-old Esther wonder if Ma loves her. In 1930, Esther's life changes dramatically when her family moves from Chicago to a Wisconsin farm after her father loses his job. The house is dilapidated, with no electricity and an outhouse instead of a bathroom. Optimis-tically determined to see the situation as an "adventure," Esther is thrilled to have horses, cows, and (best of all) a dog, and she finds beauty in the quiet landscape and excels in school. Yet what she really wants-approval, a steady best friend, and relief from poverty-are elusive. Rosengren, in her first novel, offers an intimate account of a family's adjustment to country life and the hardships of the Great Depression. It's easy to root for Esther, who makes the most of each day, wants little, and gives much. Ages 8-12. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Esther's father loses his job in the midst of the Great Depression and sees moving to the country as the family's only hope. Farm life is far from idyllic, and Esther longs for some show of love from her distant, superstitious Russian-immigrant mother. The family's poverty and hardships are nicely woven into a story of family love lost and found. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A coming-of-age tale gets to the heart of family dynamics in the face of drastic life changes in the earliest days of the Depression. Esther's family moves to a farm in Wisconsin when her father loses his job. She comes to like farm life in spite of the hardships of a house with no electricity, an outhouse instead of a bathroom and lots of chores. But her overwhelming mission is to win her mother's love by being obedient and helpful, for she believes that her mother doesn't really love her, as she never hugs or kisses the girl and seems to recoil from any display of affection from her. Esther's mother sees dangerous omens everywhere: in dreams, in the configuration of the moon and in small daily occurrences. Some of these beliefs cause even more painful difficulties in their relationship, as when she demands that Esther end a friendship when she sees the girl has a mole that is, to her, the mark of angry fairies. Esther is often confused, but she's able to withstand everything that happens with resilience and a measure of hope. Every episode, whether ordinary or momentous, fills in a bit of the puzzle and leads Esther and readers to a growing understanding and acceptance of the nature of love and home and family ties. It's a quiet, old-fashioned story; Bean's black-and-white chapter heads reinforce its cozy, mid-20th-century feel. Sensitive and tender. (Fiction. 8-12)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
When Depression-era hard times send Esther's family from their Chicago home to try their luck on a small Wisconsin farm, the 10-year-old learns that there are many ways people show love. Esther's mother never hugs or kisses her. Does she even love her? Over the course of their year in the country, Esther tries desperately to be a good daughter, but the practical realities of their near-pioneer life (no electricity or running water) leave her mother little time to notice. And while the bookish child admires her fearful mother's ability to read signs, she can't bring herself to give up her new friend Bethany, even if her mother says the girl was marked by angry fairies. Eventually, Esther finds much to enjoy in her new farm life. Debut author Rosengren weaves plenty of Old World superstitions into her heartwarming story, contrasting those who fear the future with those who embrace it. Esther's positive attitude offers a fine model for readers of this engaging historical fiction.--Isaacs, Kathleen Copyright 2010 Booklist
