by Frances M. Wood
ages: 11+
First sentence: “By late summer, Molly could always smell the corn growing.”
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Review copy sent to me by the publisher.

When I first picked up this book, I wasn’t quite sure about it. It’s an interesting premise: a couple of sisters, orphaned by their recently deceased father, decide that there is more opportunities for them out west than in Streator, Illinois. Actually, it’s the older sister, Colleen, 19, who decides that. She signs up to be a Harvey Girl — young women who worked the restaurants at the train depots on the Atchinson, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway — and drags her younger sister Molly, 13, along. The problem is Molly isn’t old enough to be a Harvey Girl, so (because she’s tall for her age), they pass her off to be 18.

I thought to myself: this can’t be a middle grade book. Really. A 13-year-old passing for an 18-year-old? But, you know, it worked. And it worked for middle grade readers (and up; I could see a teen liking this book, especially a history buff). There’s so much to enjoy about the book. Mostly set in New Mexico, Wood writes with an affection for the landscape and the time period. It’s a rich book, with many layers: there’s the initial deception that the sisters pull off and all that entails, sure. But it also touches on race relations, the hunt for marriageable spouses at that time period, envy and jealousy and contention among the girls, and most of all, the hard work it took to be a Harvey Girl.

And then there was the food. It made my mouth water, the descriptions of the dishes that the Creole chef Gaston created. Heavenly stuff.

There’s so much going on, it would seem weighted down. But, Wood remembers her audience (but doesn’t talk down to them!), and keeps Molly grounded in the story. She’s a great character to follow, and while the book does take a while to get started going, it’s really worth the time put in. An excellent read.

(Just for the record: because this is a Cybils nominee, I’ve been asked to make sure y’all know this is my opinion only, and not that of the panel.)