Release Date: July 5, 2016
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Publishing Group
Pages: 320
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction (Great Depression Era)
*I received this book as a NetGalley ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thanks NetGalley!
Summary
With her mama recently dead and her pa sight unseen since birth, fourteen-year-old Amelia is suddenly in charge of her younger brother and sister, and of the family gas station. Harley Blevins, local king and emperor of Standard Oil, is in hot pursuit to clinch his fuel monopoly. To keep him at bay and her family out of foster care, Melia must come up with a father, and fast. And so when a hobo rolls out of a passing truck, Melia grabs opportunity by its beard. Can she hold off the hounds till she comes of age? -Goodreads
The Rundown
This book wasn't what I was expecting.
It was SO MUCH BETTER!!!
Seriously probably one of the most heartwarming and truly moving coming of age stories I've read in years.
If you've followed my blog for a bit now, you know I love historical fiction. Almost anything set between the Roaring Twenties through the end of World War Two I can't help but pick up to read!
The story starts kind of slow (which is honestly my only mark against it) but once the plot picks up some steam it flies! It's a lot deeper than what seems like a David vs. Goliath tale at first glance. It's about family, love, friendships, and finding a place in this world when it seems like all the odds are against you.
And miracles.
This is a tale of miracles for sure.
Readers will rally around Melia and the family she creates as they forge on after their mother's death. As bad luck or deliberate sabotage occurs, surprising faces or ideas come out of the unlikeliest of places to help Melia keep the fight going even when she realizes she wasn't seeing the big picture of that miraculous summer of 1934 clearly until later.
What else can I say? I love this book!
Bonus: For parents looking for a clean read that still carries a powerful punch both in story and promises an insightful discussion, I highly recommend this book!
Rating: 4.5 Stars. Great read!
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