Book Review: Hattie Big Sky

Module 5

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Larson, Kirby. Hattie Big Sky. New York: Delacorte Press, 2006. ISBN 0-385-73313-5

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Orphaned as a young child, Hattie has been passed around from relative to relative, never really belonging or being wanted. When her uncle leaves her his homestead claim, she travels to Montana to prove up on it, all on her own at the age of 16. Though the work is hard and circumstances unfair, Hattie finds friends and family, and a true home.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Hattie Brooks’ story begins in 1918, a time when the country was at war, German immigrants were suspected of treason, and anyone sympathizing or speaking up for these “traitors” were accused of being disloyal to the country. These sentiments are included in the characters that Hattie meets in Vida, Montana. As a girl on the brink of womanhood, she struggles to understand why someone who is caring, honest, hardworking, and neighborly would be considered an enemy. Time and time again, Hattie is forced to choose between standing up for what she believes in or remaining passive. She also physically struggles as she fights to keep her claim. She must learn how to survive in a new climate that has incredibly cold winters and hot summers, when the soil is ready for planting and which crops to plant, how to sew and bake bread, and set 480 rods of fence. Through it all, she fights to survive in this “next year country” for as her neighbors all say, “next year it will be better.” All though Hattie fails to prove up and loses the claim, she leaves Montana with a smile on her face for she is no longer Hattie Here-and-There, but is now Hattie Big Sky, a young woman who found a home, friends, and an ambition that she did not know existed. Inspired by her great-grandmother’s homesteading experience and journals written by countless homesteaders, Larson reveals the unending work, sorrow, loss, and fond memories of those who both persevered and failed through homesteading.

4. AWARDS AND REVIEW EXCERPTS

*2007 Newberry Honor Book

*2006 Montana Book Award

*Starred Review – School Library Journal: “Larson creates a masterful picture of the homesteading experience and the people who persevered.”

*Starred Review – Booklist: “Writing in figurative language that draws on nature and domestic detail to infuse her story with the sounds, smells, and sights of the prairie, she creates a richly textured novel full of memorable characters.”

5. CONNECTIONS

*Have students listen to a podcast of Kirby Larson describe how she began an interest in her great-grandmother’s experience as a homesteader. Have them talk with their grandparents (if possible) and discover interesting stories about their grandparents and great-grandparents. Research their family member’s history or that of those who had a similar experience. http://www.hattiebigsky.com/podcasts.html.

*Have students research homesteading in the early 1900s. Have them identify the reasons that people homesteaded and share this information with the class.

*WWI affected individuals who were fighting the war abroad, and at home. Read related books about WWI.

            -Wilson, John. DESPARATE GLORY: THE STORY OF WWI.
            ISBN 978-1894917421

            -Freedman, Russell. THE WAR TO END ALL WARS: WORLD WAR I.
            ISBN 978-0547026862