Review by Booklist Review
In 1941, with her union-organizer father fleeing government agents, and her mother working in New York City, 11-year-old Gusta is sent to live in Springdale, Maine, with her grandmother and aunt, who run a small orphanage in their home. Gusta gradually adjusts to the town, making friends, working at home, and earning the money for her new glasses by helping the oculist, Mr. Bertmann, with his shop and his hobby of training carrier pigeons. But when she attempts to sell her beloved French horn to help her family, she loses both the instrument and the money. Nesbet bases her novel on stories of her mother's hardscrabble childhood in southern Maine. The seemingly quiet setting has its share of injustice and pain: a mill owner firing a badly injured worker, locals threatening neighbors with German-sounding names, and the dark, painful secret behind a child's unknown parentage. Intelligent, empathetic, and brave up to a point, Gusta is the most complex of the many well-drawn characters whose stories intersect, sometimes in surprising ways. A rewarding historical novel.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this uplifting, multifaceted historical novel set in 1941, Nesbet (Cloud and Wallfish) creates an arrestingly strong and sympathetic character in nearsighted 11-year-old Augusta "Gusta" Hoopes Neubronner. Financial strains force Gusta to leave her parents and New York City for her grandmother's home in Springdale, Maine, where the townsfolk are wary of anyone different-especially someone with an unusual name or unusual talent, both of which Gusta, a passionate French horn player, possesses. Gusta is surprised by much in Springdale (including that her grandmother runs an orphanage), though nothing is more astonishing than her German-born union organizer father's sudden disappearance during their bus trip to Maine and the men who subsequently board the bus searching for "fugitive" August Neubronner. Buoyed by memories of his encouraging words ("In war and struggle, we do what we must!"), Gusta adjusts to her new life, instinctively standing up for what she believes is right. Nesbet deftly weaves disparate elements-music, orphans, labor unions, carrier pigeons, and a magic wish-into a richly developed story set during a pivotal era in American history. Ages 10-14. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-Gusta's troubles begin in 1941 when her father-an infamous labor union organizer-disappears as he's placing her on a bus from New York City to Maine. Eleven-year-old Gusta arrives at her destination, an orphan house run by her Grandma Hoops, carrying little more than her precious French horn. Multiple intriguing plot lines emerge: anti-German American sentiment, labor union disputes, Gusta's previously undiagnosed vision problems, her surprising musical talent, a persistent search for an ancestor's last remaining magic wish, an elderly Jewish man's homing pigeons, and family secrets. Alliances and friendships, bravery and perseverance, strong-willed characters, and a satisfying conclusion characterize this distinctive novel. Kate Rudd exudes perfect empathy for the protagonist here. Her pace and voice moderation allow listeners to easily distinguish among the cast of characters. VERDICT The profusion of subplots might confuse a casual listener. However, those who pay attention will certainly gain new insight into Americans' prejudices about labor unions and immigrants at World War II's beginning.-Debbie Whitbeck, West Ottawa Public Schools, Holland, MI © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
In 1941, eleven-year-old Gusta is sent to live with her grandmother, who runs an orphan home in Maine. As the story unfolds, she gets in trouble for protesting at the local mill, writing about the true meaning of patriotism, forming an orphans' band, and more. Gusta also finds the missing (magic) "Wish" her mother told her about and uncovers a family secret. While overstuffed, the novel is heartfelt and thought-provoking. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
It's 1941, and Gusta, 11, has been sentactually nearly abandonedto the care of her grandmother in a small Maine town.Her father, a German immigrant and labor organizer, is on the run from the law, and her mother is struggling financially in New York City, so it seems to make sense for Gusta to go to a loving, if a bit austere, grandmother who takes in foster children anyway. In Springdale, she meets chatty Josie, already in high school and seemingly the dominant one in the blur of foster children. If Gusta is to thrive in this strange new setting, it'll be by virtue of her spiritand perhaps her beloved French horn, which she plays with considerable talent. She, Josie, and a cousin, Bess, create their own small band. This leads, almost inevitably, to an unexpected clash with a wealthy mill owner, whose secret connection with Gusta's aunt Marion threatens to derail Gusta in this immersive, character-driven tale. She's believably caught between her desire to do what's right, fighting back against growing prejudice against foreigners and unfair treatment of workers, and her need for comfort and security in an alien, sometimes-threatening new environment. Although the characters are white, this effort nicely captures the myriad faces of prejudice.Sometimes suspenseful and always engaging, this snapshot of determined Gusta and life before the war is sure to captivate readers. (Historical fiction. 11-14) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
