It is the summer of 1899 and Calpurnia Tate(Callie) is 11 years old. Callie befriends her cantankerous grandfather whom for years has been a mystery to her. Being raised with 6 brothers Callie is very disturbed at her mother’s attempts to make a lady out of her.
Callie spends her days with her grandfather exploring nature. On one of their excursions they find a possible new form of plant. They spend the summer anxiously waiting to hear if it is what they think it is.
Throughout the summer Callie learns to love her grandfather. She learns about nature around her. And she learns that there are responsibilities that she herself has as a growing young woman.
I loved this sweet novel! It made me laugh and it made me cry. I loved the relationship that Calpurnia formed with her grandfather. I loved the transformation of Calpurnia as she came to discover things for herself and became her own person while struggling against the restraints of the time period.
It kinda reminded me of To Kill a Mockingbird, minus the Boo Radley/ Tom Robinson connection. I guess that I mean it was a quaint and endearing read. I liked it, but am not sure how many of my students would enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteOoo I want to try it.
ReplyDeleteDid I say how much I love this blog? I love that I get a bit of both worlds 'cause I read YA Fantasy and Christian Fiction :) Bravo bravo bravo! * invisible confetti*