It may be 1906, but Mattie Gokey's life is just as confusing as a modern teenager's.

Author/Illustrator: Jennifer Donnelly
Format: Paperback
Published: Harcourt, 2003

It may be 1906, but Mattie Gokey's life is just as confusing as a modern teenager's. Her mother has recently died, leaving her responsible for raising her sisters and helping her father on the farm. She doesn't know how she feels about her beau, the handsome but dull Royal Loomis. And she dreams of attending college in New York City despite her father's opposition to the plan. Then the drowned body of a young woman turns up at the hotel where Mattie works. It is only after she solves the mystery of the woman's death that she discovers the strength and determination she needs to go forward with her own life. Based on a true story, this skillfully written and historically accurate novel is nearly impossible to put down.