02/01/2023
Gr 3–7—This fits snugly within the canon of plucky girls overcoming massive trials. Written in the vein of A Little Princess or Anne of Green Gables, this title sets the titular Beatrice in the depths of America's Great Depression. Bea's father abandons her and her younger sister Vivian on the farm of a distant and rather prickly acquaintance, Mrs. Scott. Although she's hesitant about the two foundlings, Mrs. Scott soon finds a use for them on her floundering farm. Once Bea, who is white, reveals her innate horse training sense, there's hope and great risk on the horizon as the women try to save the farm through taming a traumatized horse. Bea's journey is gorgeously told through refined but accessible writing. The conflicts are heartbreaking without a heavy hand. The scenes of horse jumping are equally exhilarating and exhausting, enough to make any horse skeptic a full-on fan. With a dash of social issues through veterans, racism, and the Hoover/FDR presidential race, Elliott's novel is as informative as it is entertaining. VERDICT A gorgeous, almost bygone-era tale of overcoming adversity, full of wisdom for all. Upper elementary students, high schoolers, and beyond can learn resilience and wisdom from these characters.—Cat McCarrey
2023-01-12
A girl competes on a dangerous horse in a Depression-era effort to save a family farm.
It’s not her family’s farm: Thirteen-year-old Beatrice Davis and her 8-year-old sister, Vivian, have been riding the rails with their father. Two years ago, when Daddy lost his bank job in Richmond, they lost everything, including Bea’s pony. Then Mama died. Now Daddy’s abandoned them in a hayloft belonging to Mama’s Sweet Briar College friend’s mother. The girls successfully stay hidden until Bea reveals their existence by saving one of Mrs. Scott’s horses from colic. Cantankerous Mrs. Scott allows them to stay in exchange for picking peaches but soon enlists Bea to help attract rich buyers by riding some of her horses in an upcoming show—including a beautiful chestnut who’s hurt several people. Elliott weaves in historical threads: near-historic droughts in Virginia in 1930 and 1932, 1919 race riots in which Black World War I veterans were attacked, the racially integrated Bonus Army’s 1932 march to Washington, and presidential hopeful Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal. Bea is a vivid, sympathetic character. She and Mrs. Scott stand up to their multitude of losses with brave honesty and pragmatism, and the victories they achieve feel earned. Elliott knows horses down to her toes. Main characters are White; major supporting character Malachi is a Black veteran blinded during a parade in the U.S. in honor of his regiment.
Hurrah for bold riders and the horses who love them. (author’s note, selected sources) (Historical fiction. 9-14)
"Elliott (Louisa June and the Nazis in the Waves) nimbly layers historical events—including the devastating effects of the stock market crash and FDR’s promise of a “New Deal”—and equine details into an engrossing novel for fans of The War That Saved My Life." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Distrustful but determined Bea has a lot riding on her, but she harnesses her stubbornness amidst sorrow in this blue-ribbon pick for fans of Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's The War That Saved My Life." — Booklist
"Bea’s journey is gorgeously told through refined but accessible writing. The conflicts are heartbreaking without a heavy hand. The scenes of horse jumping are equally exhilarating and exhausting, enough to make any horse skeptic a full-on fan. With a dash of social issues through veterans, racism, and the Hoover/FDR presidential race, Elliott’s novel is as informative as it is entertaining. A gorgeous, almost bygone-era tale of overcoming adversity, full of wisdom for all." — School Library Journal
"Elliott knows horses down to her toes. Hurrah for bold riders and the horses who love them." — Kirkus Reviews
PRAISE FOR LOUISA JUNE AND THE NAZIS IN THE WAVES: "Evocatively threaded with the scents and sounds of Tidewater Virginia coastal communities, this story presents a fascinating, lesser-known aspect of the war told from a young girl’s perspective. Successfully tackling the devastation of depression on family relationships, the bitter cost of war, and the uplifting strength of no-nonsense friendship, this story has impressive depth. Superb." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"An infrequently explored aspect of WWII history—German submarines torpedoing U.S. cargo ships along America’s East Coast—underpins Elliott’s (Walls) well-crafted novel. Evocative descriptions of the region’s natural life ground this realistic depiction of one family’s efforts to withstand depression and personal tragedy during wartime." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
PRAISE FOR STORM DOG: "An entertaining tale of angst, good dogs, and satisfying achievement." — Kirkus Reviews
PRAISE FOR HAMILTON & PEGGY: “Elliott combines a flair for fiction with masterly research...the ‘stubborn, defiant, willful’ Peggy will win their hearts as she forges on to take her place alongside her older sisters.” — Publishers Weekly
“Elliott has written an engaging novel...[and] successfully navigates the challenge of maintaining historical accuracy while upholding the personalities popularized by the musical. [Peggy] is showcased as a strong protagonist who is confident in the best possible ways. Her memorable story will keep readers interested from start to finish.” — Booklist
“Set during the American Revolution, the tale offers the adventure of war, the family dynamic of sisterhood, and the drama of young love. While Elliott was inspired by Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton, her story is based on independent research, and her afterword is as readable as the novel itself.” — Kirkus Reviews
