Synopses & Reviews
In 1849 a twelve-year-old girl who calls herself Lucy is distraught when her mother moves the family from Massachusetts to a small California mining town. There Lucy helps run a boarding house and looks for comfort in books while trying to find a way to return "home."
Review
'\"Cushman's heroine is a delightful character, and the historical
setting is authentically portrayed. Lucy's story, as the author points
out in her end notes, is the story of many pioneer women who exhibited
great strength and courage as they helped to settle the West.\"'
Review
'\"The recent Newbery medalist plunks down two more strong-minded women,
this time in an 1849 mining camp—a milieu far removed from the Middle
Ages of her first novels, but not all that different when it comes to
living standards. . . . With a story that is less a period piece than a
timeless and richly comic coming-of-age story, Cushman remains on a
roll.\"'
Review
"Cushmans heroine is a delightful character, and the historical setting is authentically portrayed. Lucys story, as the author points out in her end notes, is the story of many pioneer women who exhibited great strength and courage as they helped to settle the West."
School Library Journal, Starred
"The recent Newbery medalist plunks down two more strong-minded women, this time in an 1849 mining campa milieu far removed from the Middle Ages of her first novels, but not all that different when it comes to living standards. . . . With a story that is less a period piece than a timeless and richly comic coming-of-age story, Cushman remains on a roll."
Kirkus Reviews with Pointers
Synopsis
Newbery Honor and Medal winner Karen Cushman's classic novel of the American Gold Rush follows the distraught twelve-year-old Lucy as her family moves from Massachusetts to a small California mining town.
About the Author
Karen Cushman was born in Chicago, Illinois and lives now on Vashon Island west of Seattle, Washington. She received an M.A. in human behavior and one in museum studies. Ms. Cushman has had a lifelong interest in history. She says, "I grew tired of hearing about kings, princes, generals, presidents. I wanted to know what ordinary life was like for ordinary young people in other times." Research into medieval English history and culture led to the writing of her first two novels, the Newbery Honor book CATHERINE, CALLED BIRDY and the Newbery Medal-winner THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE. She is also the author of MATILDA BONE, THE BALLAD OF LUCY WHIPPLE, RODZINA, and most recently ALCHEMY AND MEGGY SWANN..