is the first book by Caroline Starr Rose, an author who has been attempting to get published for years.

Reviewed from copy received from Schwartz & Wade Books.Įnter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.Īrchives Archives Categories Categories Tags adventures African-Americans American history animals art artists bears bedtime biographies birds bullying cats community creativity death diversity dogs emotions fairy tales families fantasy fathers food friendship friendships grandparents grief historical fiction history humor imagination LGBTQ magic mothers music mysteries nature pets poetry rabbits racism romance school science science fiction seasons self esteem siblings toddlers trees Blogroll

Her struggles to read strike a delicate balance in the book, showing an inner battle that plays against the external forces at work.Ī taut, frightening novel of solitary confinement set in wide-open spaces, this book would work well with reluctant readers or as a classroom read. It is the story of an obviously bright and very resourceful girl with dyslexia.

But after that, another teacher arrived who used shame to try to get May to learn to read. She had one teacher, shown in flashbacks, who treated her with respect and worked with her. The book also deals with May’s dyslexia which makes her almost unable to read. What could have been lengthy treatises on loneliness instead are verses that speak to the harrowing nature of abandonment. The format of a verse novel works particularly well here as most of the story is May’s reaction to her situation. At the same time, it also has a stark reality about it that makes it gripping. Rose has written a book that pays homage to the Little House on the Prairie books and reads a lot like The Long Winter. This book written in verse is a look at the dangers, hardship and courage of homesteading. Then winter comes, and May is alone on the prairie with a dwindling food supply, just a little wood for heat, and only the prairie itself for company. May is left alone on the prairie where at first the days are lovely, sunny and warm and she enjoys the freedom. The husband heads after her and neither return. The young wife, who is almost May’s age, is unhappy on the prairie and runs away. May finds herself in a small sod house fifteen miles away from her own. When money gets tight, she is sent to become live-in help for other homesteaders, but just until Christmas. May has grown up living out on her family’s homestead on the Kansas prairie.

May B. by Caroline Starr Rose