Ratings

Content Ratings based on a 0-5 scale where
0 = no objectionable content and
5 = an excessive or disturbing level of content

Guide to Rating System

LANGUAGE

VIOLENCE

SEXUAL CONTENT

ADULT THEMES

Ratings Explanation

Language:  There was one use of hell and a couple of instances of name calling.

Violence:  Mae is physically and verbally abused.  Hattie is hit, treated roughly and hurt.   People threaten to kill her.  Arthur falls over a cliff and is hurt.

Adult Themes:  Hattie’s sister dies because there is no doctor available to come help her.  Mae’s mother is disowned by her parents when she joins a church they do not approve of.  When Mae’s mother and father both die, Mae is forced to live with relatives who abuse her.

Synopsis

Shortly after Hattie turns twelve, her father decides to move her family to a town called Tropic in Southern Utah near Ebenezer Bryce’s Canyon.  Hattie’s father is always looking for a new opportunity and this move is something he is excited about.  For Hattie, the move is everything she dreads.  Her apprehension mounts as she realizes that she will have to talk to new people and make new friends.  Hattie is impossibly shy.  Knowing this, Hattie’s father extracts a promise from her:  that she will try her best to make friends and be happy.  Hattie hopes she can fulfill this promise.

This middle grade historical fiction book was a heartwarming read.  The setting in Southern Utah reminded me of the early childhood years I spent there, running among the red rocks and the desert.  I love that area and even decades later find feelings of home filling me up when I drive through it.  Hattie experiences many adventures and feelings typical for a twelve year old, with relationships with her friends and family being at the center.  The harsh realities of early settlers to southern Utah are described well and tugged at my heartstrings.  This book was based on real life accounts of people who lived in that area.