Obviously, beware of spoilers. And stuff.
Hattie Inez Brooks is a young girl of sixteen growing up during World War I. Orphaned very early in life, Hattie can't remember her parents. She has spent her childhood being bounced from relative to relative - never wanted and never staying for long. She is living with her Aunt Ivy and Uncle Holt, who are actually rather distant cousins, and is just about to be loaned out for work to a boarding house when she receives a letter from Vida, Montana.
The letter is from her Uncle Chester - a man she didn't even know existed. He reportedly never sent for her because he was, by his own description, a "scoundrel." But what he did do for her endeared him to Hattie regardless. The letter he sent to her was his will. He had registered a homestead claim in Montana that he had yet to prove up on, and he left it to Hattie, his last living relative, so she could have a home of her own.
Hattie immediately sets out for Montana with her cat Mr. Whiskers, her heart full of dreams. No longer will she have to be unwanted Hattie Here-and-There. On the prairie she can make a place for herself in the world, a place where she can finally belong.
And that is truly what Hattie Big Sky is about. It's a coming of age story where a sixteen-year-old girl breaks her back farming a homestead claim, finding herself, a family, and the strength to withstand anything life throws at her in the process. It is also about equality, prejudice, standing up for what's right, and being a good person.
I checked Hattie Big Sky out of my local library after hearing it was a pretty fantastic book. And it won the Newbery Honor Medal, so I had some expectations of it. Most of those expectations were beyond met.
Hattie is everything you want in a female protagonist. She accepts help from others, and isn't afraid to admit that she has no idea what she's doing. But she works hard, learns fast, and not only takes care of herself, but her neighbors the Muellers as well. She forges friendships, stands strong against the so-called "Liberty League" that makes life hard for Americans of German heritage and questionable patriotism, and is independent and smart. There seems to be no incident that she can't bring herself back from.
And I love Hattie's story. I really do. It shows young girls that they can survive anything, that they can find a home anywhere, as long as they believe in themselves. And I don't mean in some starry-eyed way, where anything you imagine can come true. I mean believe in you - who you are as a person, the endurance of your body and your spirit, and your strength. Believe that you have what it takes to make it through, and you will. Love yourself, and love will find you.
There are, of course, some problems I had with Hattie Big Sky. She found her true family in the Muellers - her home is with them. Why is she going off to meet up with Charlie, her love interest? I love Hattie, and everything she stands for. So why does the author have to imply at the end that Hattie will finally find her true home with Charlie in Seattle? Certainly she's allowed to have her romance, but she found her family with Karl and Perilee and their children. She loved them, and actively thought of them as her blood. She found what she had always been looking for - a place to belong, and people to love her. So why didn't she go with them? When you find people you love, you fight to keep them. So why didn't she make plans to be with them? It's completely confusing.
Another problem I had with the book is that not much good ever seems to happen to Hattie. Yes, the book is supposed to be about her standing up through hardship. But in the end, she's left with nothing but herself and a ticket to Seattle. She even has to leave Mr. Whiskers behind. She loses the claim to that asshole rancher, the Muellers move, and she has so much debt at the general store from trying to prove up that she has to stay behind - even though she now has no home - and work it off. When is anything good going to happen to her? Sure, she found inner strength and fortitude and peace. But a soul can't survive on that alone. A little happiness is not uncalled for. It is necessary.
The issues I have with this book are minimal, really. I loved it. It was well written, and the history of the period was evident in the writing. I found it especially interesting that the author based if off of one of her ancestors. I would've liked to meet that lady.
There is a sequel to this book, Hattie Ever After. But I probably won't ever read it, as the description sounds so very different in tone, setting, and character than the first. And I think a sequel is unnecessary. This book stands tall and strong, just like Hattie, all on its own.
I give it four out of five stars.
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