Hattie Big Sky
Author: Kirby Larson
ISBN 978-0-3857-3595-7

For years, sixteen-year-old Hattie’s been shuttled between relatives. Tired of being Hattie Here-and-There, she courageously leaves Iowa to prove up on her late uncle’s homestead claim near Vida, Montana. With a stubborn stick-to-itiveness, Hattie faces frost, drought and blizzards. Despite many hardships, Hattie forges ahead, sharing her adventures with her friends especially Charlie, who is fighting in France through letters and articles for her hometown newspaper. Her backbreaking quest for a home is lightened by her neighbors, the Muellers. But she feels threatened by pressure to be a "Loyal" American, forbidding friendships with folks of German descent. Despite everything, Hattie’s determined to stay until a tragedy causes her to discover the true meaning of home.

Review: Larson, whose great-grandmother homesteaded alone in Montana, read dozens of homesteaders’ journals and based scenes in the book on real events. Writing in figurative language that draws on nature and domestic detail to infuse her story with the sounds, smells, and sights of the prairie, she creates a richly textured novel full of memorable characters.

Food preparation, child care, home management, gardening, food preservation, quilting, sewing
Activities based on Hattie Big Sky are included in our resource A Novel Approach to FACS, Reading in the FACS Classroom.

Published: 2008
Format: Paperback
Price: $7.00