Hattie, a 16-year-old orphan living in Iowa in 1917, has spent most of her life being shuttled from one distant relative to another, and never having a home of her own or feeling like part of a family. When an uncle she never met wills her his Montana homestead claim, she jumps at the chance to have a home of her own. Most people doubt that a 16-year-old girl can really work the land and fulfill the difficult terms of the claim all by herself, but Hattie is determined to try. As she sets off on her new adventure, she recounts her experiences in letters to her friend Charlie, a soldier fighting in World War I, and in newspaper articles she sends back to a local Iowa paper. Read the book to find out how Hattie manages her homestead claim and makes new friends in Montana.Don't miss this 2007 Newbery Honor Book by Kirby Larson.
