Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson

Hattie Big Sky takes place in 1918. Seventeen-year-old Hattie lives in Iowa, but moves to Wyoming to complete the homestead requirements her late Uncle left for her. The book does a great job of describing what life was like in 1918 during the end of World War I (WWI) (known then as The Great War). When Hattie arrives in Wyoming, she discovers she has a lot to learn. She learns to do everything from caring for animals to building fences to cooking and baking with the materials available. Because WWI was still on, there were shortages on food and other things. People had to learn to make do with what they had.

For me, one of the most powerful threads in this story was the way German Americans were treated. Because the primary enemy in WWI was Germany, many German Americans were discriminated against by their fellow Americans just because they spoke German, ate German food, or practiced German traditions. People who supported or were friends with German Americans were also targets of bigots. It was a little unsettling to read about how cruel people were to each other all in the (false) name of "patriotism."

All in all, a good read...very well written.

Topics: life in 1918, German Americans, World War I, discrimination, friends

Genre: historical fiction (1918)

Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 4 of 5

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