What do you think?
Rate this book
One Came Home
In the town of Placid, Wisconsin, in 1871, Georgie Burkhardt is known for two things: her uncanny aim with a rifle and her habit of speaking her mind plainly.
But when Georgie blurts out something she shouldn't, her older sister Agatha flees, running off with a pack of "pigeoners" trailing the passenger pigeon migration. And when the sheriff returns to town with an unidentifiable body—wearing Agatha's blue-green ball gown—everyone assumes the worst. Except Georgie. Refusing to believe the facts that are laid down (and coffined) before her, Georgie sets out on a journey to find her sister. She will track every last clue and shred of evidence to bring Agatha home. Yet even with resolute determination and her trusty Springfield single-shot, Georgie is not prepared for what she faces on the western frontier.
From the Hardcover edition.
But when Georgie blurts out something she shouldn't, her older sister Agatha flees, running off with a pack of "pigeoners" trailing the passenger pigeon migration. And when the sheriff returns to town with an unidentifiable body—wearing Agatha's blue-green ball gown—everyone assumes the worst. Except Georgie. Refusing to believe the facts that are laid down (and coffined) before her, Georgie sets out on a journey to find her sister. She will track every last clue and shred of evidence to bring Agatha home. Yet even with resolute determination and her trusty Springfield single-shot, Georgie is not prepared for what she faces on the western frontier.
From the Hardcover edition.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
344 people are currently reading
6890 people want to read
About the author
Amy Timberlake
9 books191 followersAmy Timberlake's work has received a Newbery Honor, an Edgar, and a Golden Kite Award. One book was chosen to be a Book Sense Pick, another was reviewed in The New York Times Book Review. Her books have made several "best books of the year" lists, and she loves it whenever her books are chosen to be part of a state reading list. (Thank you!) Chicago's Lifeline Theatre has adapted both One Came Home and The Dirty Cowboy for the stage. She's received residency fellowships from Hedgebrook, and the Anderson Center.
Her most recent book, One Came Home, has been called "a True Grit for the middle school set" by Bookpage, "a valentine to sisterhood and a bird that no longer exists" by The Washington Post, and "a rare gem of a novel" by The Christian Science Monitor.
Her most recent book, One Came Home, has been called "a True Grit for the middle school set" by Bookpage, "a valentine to sisterhood and a bird that no longer exists" by The Washington Post, and "a rare gem of a novel" by The Christian Science Monitor.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,485 reviews
September 19, 2013
Another Newbery contender, so my critique is a bit more critical than others. There is a lot to love in this book: the historical setting was well-written, the pigeons were fascinating, and Georgie as a main character was terrific. It was a great little mystery with a lot of action.
There are two things that kept me from giving it a five, and are the two reasons I don't think it will/should win the Newbery: 1. I'm not sure how wide the audience is for the book. As an adult, I really appreciated it, but I'm not sure how many children will be able to relate. I may be wrong. 2. The last few pages really left a bad taste in my mouth. I felt the resolution was complete without the bit about the fire, and the part where Georgie describes how she won't pick up a gun again seemed forced and out of character. It was a little too preachy, and I wish I had just stopped reading after the tombstone was changed.
Aside from those things, I think it is a fantastic book and it is extremely well-written. I laughed out loud several times at Georgie's narrative, and found myself wanting to mark many beautiful descriptions. I'll be interested to see what the committee makes of this one.
There are two things that kept me from giving it a five, and are the two reasons I don't think it will/should win the Newbery: 1. I'm not sure how wide the audience is for the book. As an adult, I really appreciated it, but I'm not sure how many children will be able to relate. I may be wrong. 2. The last few pages really left a bad taste in my mouth. I felt the resolution was complete without the bit about the fire, and the part where Georgie describes how she won't pick up a gun again seemed forced and out of character. It was a little too preachy, and I wish I had just stopped reading after the tombstone was changed.
Aside from those things, I think it is a fantastic book and it is extremely well-written. I laughed out loud several times at Georgie's narrative, and found myself wanting to mark many beautiful descriptions. I'll be interested to see what the committee makes of this one.
January 3, 2018
درکمال حیرت خودم، هیچ خوشم نیومد! اصلاً منو نگرفت. شروع جذابی داشت. اما وقتی می‌دونیم تهش چی میشه، چه فایده‌ای داره؟ نه می‌دونم این معیار نیست. خیلی وقتا نویسنده دست رو کلیشه می‌ذاره و خوب درش می‌آره. ولی مسئله همین خوب دراوردنه. برای من خیلی ملال‌آور شده بود. هیچ‌جا چیزی خارج از تصورم رخ نداد. دم‌دستی‌ترین چیزها رو برداشته بود. پایانش رو البته خوب بست. استثنائاً خوب بست. ولی اینقد توهم‌توهم بود همه‌‌چی! اینقد اتفاقا دم‌دستی بودن! اصن انتظار نداشتم. خوشم نیومد اصلاً. اعصابم خرد میشه بش فکر می‌کنم. اون فضای معرکه با دیالوگ‌های خییییلی رو و مسخره و کلیشه‌ای و لوس. بیلیِ رواعصاب، بیلی ایده‌آل. از همه بدتر خود خواهره، آگاتا. خیلی مسخره‌بازی بود داستان. ای بابا. شاید من هم موقع بدی خوندمش. چون با کلی وعده‌ی خوب رفتم سراغش. بازم گول خوردم.:))
February 12, 2013
I like children's books that sock you in the gut. Not the books that telegraph their hits or do the old one-two punch you can see coming from a mile away. No way, man, I'm talking about the books where you're reading along, merrily as you please, and then this hammer of a hit comes in from out of the blue and just hocks the wind right out of you. Middle grade fiction, also known as chapter book fiction for kids, can sometimes feel like one long unending stream of samey sameness. Then you get a whiff of something like One Came Home and it does you a world of good. Kids need a little variety. If they're going to read historical fiction (and they are) then why not give them bloody interesting historical fiction for once? Something with gunplay and counterfeiting and true affection between sisters and gowns and all that stuff? A mystery and quest tale all at once, Timberlake's latest lifts her from the masses of samey same middle grade onto another level. And kid readers end up the winners.
Agatha is dead, to begin with. Or is she? When the sheriff came home with a body in a ball gown with its features blown all to smithereens (or eaten by wild animals) everyone in Placid, Wisconsin believes that it's Georgie's older sister. The one that ran off after Georgie helped to spoil her engagement. Georgie, for the record, doesn't believe a word of it and she's going to find the truth. As far as she's concerned Agatha just has to be alive somewhere, so with a local boy, a mule, some gold coins sewn into her hems, and a gun she can rely on, Georgie sets off to prove her theory. Trouble is, the truth ends up being a whole lot more complicated than she ever could have suspected.
You know, I liked Amy Timberlake when I read her That Girl Lucy Moon back in 2006. That book was a contemporary novel about a girl trying to buck the system in her own particular way. Like Norma Rae with sledding. What it didn't do was allow Ms. Timberlake to indulge in a character's voice. Lucy Moon was pleasant and all, but when you left the book you didn't find her stuck in your head for long periods of time. Georgie has that over Lucy then. She's the kind of gal who likes to make an impression, even if that means hanging around your grey matter. I don't regularly wrestle with the mad desire to read a book aloud but somewhere around page 83 I had to stifle an impromptu recitation on the #7 subway train.
Now there is a True Grit feel to the book that is impossible to deny. Not merely because of the can-do attitude of the heroine with her straightforward methods and ahead-of-its-time gumption, but also because the book reads as if the events had taken place long ago in the past. Timberlake adeptly alternates between perspective and the emotions of a 13-year-old barely entering adolescence. Not that this is the first True Grit-ish middle grade I've seen since the release of the Cohen Brothers film of the same name. The Case of the Deadly Desperados by Caroline Lawrence would actually make a sterling companion to One Came Home. Both books involve a mystery and a protagonist with hidden skills in the 1800s West. [By the way, another reader pointed out that the book bears more than a few similarities to [book: Atonement] and where is the line drawn between homage and borrowing? An interesting point.]
In Georgie, Timberlake finds a voice prone to particularly beautiful passages. And if you believe that this book consists of the remembrances of a grown woman looking back then it is easier to accept lines like, "But those images of bells and streams dissolved, and all I saw was a wind stirred by the evil winged creatures from Pandora's box." Or, on the next page, "... there's a difference between feathers and leaves. Feathers claw their way back into the sky, whereas leaves, after flying once, are content to rest on the earth. Agatha? She was a feather." Later still, "I froze. My body did, anyway. My mind, on the other hand, jumped over the moon and ran off with the spoon." And finally, "You don't turn the color of dust unless you're returning to it." That's just a small sample, but it's a hint of what I mean.
I always thought that passenger pigeons were small. When we talked about them in school, usually in the context of extinct American animals, I pictured birds the size of the pigeons you see in cities today. In point of fact they were "as big as crows" and your average everyday 21st century American citizen really doesn't know all that much about them. I know that I, for one, did not know about the vast swarms of pigeons that would pass by, yielding a disgusting sleet of bird poop beneath. The sheer history packed into this little book is far beyond mere tales of bird excrement, though. Timberlake has a tendency to spoonfeed her readers history alongside pertinent background information. It's as if we'd choke if she didn't get it out in piecemeal. This is not a criticism, mind you, merely an observation. She is quite adept at giving the reader believable and relatable period details that feel right for the time. For example, we learn that Georgie finished her sixth year of winter school the year before and thought it would be fun but in the winter, "no schoolwork made the dark hours endless." Tell me a kid can't get behind that.
Now certainly there are passages here that defy credulity. Georgie's prowess with a gun takes on near superhuman attributes later on in the story, and there may be a danger that this plunges some readers out of the story. I didn't particularly mind. I like my superheroes, particularly those of the 13-year-old female persuasion. And I very much like those girls who, when given a chance to kill another person, do not do so because their very doubt in God stays their itchy trigger finger. There is also an almost superfluous last chapter to the book that could potentially come right out. It sets the book in history nicely but feels like it comes after all the actions of the characters have been resolved (not to give anything away). Then there is the resolution to whether or not Agatha is truly dead. The answer comes in such a way where it appears that nothing Georgie has done has led to the answer. Dig a little deeper, though, and I think that you could argue that Georgie's actions did, inadvertently anyway, move the book towards its ultimate resolution (this not giving anything away business is hard going, no?). Finally, there is a very good question as to why no one wonders why the body of Agatha was found wearing a ball gown. That important point isn't raised by even Georgie at the beginning. Seems a bit of a slip for our proto-detective. Young ladies were not prone for traipsing about the wilderness in green/blue velvet, after all.
So will kids dig it? Some will. Depends on how they come to it. Though my inclination would be to booktalk it to them on the murder mystery solving, if you do that then they might get turned off by the sweeter sister interactions at the start. Best if you inform them straight out that it's a book about two sisters who love one another very much until one ends up dead in a ditch and the other doesn't believe in the body. A good honest hook is all this title really needs to get some interest. And I've just gotta believe that a kid with a canny ear will pick up on everything Timberlake's doing. Hopefully anyway. It's a smart little book that does a small misstep from time to time but ultimately ends up being one of the most gripping little novels you'll come across. Smart and funny and not something a kid with a yen is likely to put down, it's a funky little number. Hope to see more books of the past like it in the future.
For ages 10 and up.
Agatha is dead, to begin with. Or is she? When the sheriff came home with a body in a ball gown with its features blown all to smithereens (or eaten by wild animals) everyone in Placid, Wisconsin believes that it's Georgie's older sister. The one that ran off after Georgie helped to spoil her engagement. Georgie, for the record, doesn't believe a word of it and she's going to find the truth. As far as she's concerned Agatha just has to be alive somewhere, so with a local boy, a mule, some gold coins sewn into her hems, and a gun she can rely on, Georgie sets off to prove her theory. Trouble is, the truth ends up being a whole lot more complicated than she ever could have suspected.
You know, I liked Amy Timberlake when I read her That Girl Lucy Moon back in 2006. That book was a contemporary novel about a girl trying to buck the system in her own particular way. Like Norma Rae with sledding. What it didn't do was allow Ms. Timberlake to indulge in a character's voice. Lucy Moon was pleasant and all, but when you left the book you didn't find her stuck in your head for long periods of time. Georgie has that over Lucy then. She's the kind of gal who likes to make an impression, even if that means hanging around your grey matter. I don't regularly wrestle with the mad desire to read a book aloud but somewhere around page 83 I had to stifle an impromptu recitation on the #7 subway train.
Now there is a True Grit feel to the book that is impossible to deny. Not merely because of the can-do attitude of the heroine with her straightforward methods and ahead-of-its-time gumption, but also because the book reads as if the events had taken place long ago in the past. Timberlake adeptly alternates between perspective and the emotions of a 13-year-old barely entering adolescence. Not that this is the first True Grit-ish middle grade I've seen since the release of the Cohen Brothers film of the same name. The Case of the Deadly Desperados by Caroline Lawrence would actually make a sterling companion to One Came Home. Both books involve a mystery and a protagonist with hidden skills in the 1800s West. [By the way, another reader pointed out that the book bears more than a few similarities to [book: Atonement] and where is the line drawn between homage and borrowing? An interesting point.]
In Georgie, Timberlake finds a voice prone to particularly beautiful passages. And if you believe that this book consists of the remembrances of a grown woman looking back then it is easier to accept lines like, "But those images of bells and streams dissolved, and all I saw was a wind stirred by the evil winged creatures from Pandora's box." Or, on the next page, "... there's a difference between feathers and leaves. Feathers claw their way back into the sky, whereas leaves, after flying once, are content to rest on the earth. Agatha? She was a feather." Later still, "I froze. My body did, anyway. My mind, on the other hand, jumped over the moon and ran off with the spoon." And finally, "You don't turn the color of dust unless you're returning to it." That's just a small sample, but it's a hint of what I mean.
I always thought that passenger pigeons were small. When we talked about them in school, usually in the context of extinct American animals, I pictured birds the size of the pigeons you see in cities today. In point of fact they were "as big as crows" and your average everyday 21st century American citizen really doesn't know all that much about them. I know that I, for one, did not know about the vast swarms of pigeons that would pass by, yielding a disgusting sleet of bird poop beneath. The sheer history packed into this little book is far beyond mere tales of bird excrement, though. Timberlake has a tendency to spoonfeed her readers history alongside pertinent background information. It's as if we'd choke if she didn't get it out in piecemeal. This is not a criticism, mind you, merely an observation. She is quite adept at giving the reader believable and relatable period details that feel right for the time. For example, we learn that Georgie finished her sixth year of winter school the year before and thought it would be fun but in the winter, "no schoolwork made the dark hours endless." Tell me a kid can't get behind that.
Now certainly there are passages here that defy credulity. Georgie's prowess with a gun takes on near superhuman attributes later on in the story, and there may be a danger that this plunges some readers out of the story. I didn't particularly mind. I like my superheroes, particularly those of the 13-year-old female persuasion. And I very much like those girls who, when given a chance to kill another person, do not do so because their very doubt in God stays their itchy trigger finger. There is also an almost superfluous last chapter to the book that could potentially come right out. It sets the book in history nicely but feels like it comes after all the actions of the characters have been resolved (not to give anything away). Then there is the resolution to whether or not Agatha is truly dead. The answer comes in such a way where it appears that nothing Georgie has done has led to the answer. Dig a little deeper, though, and I think that you could argue that Georgie's actions did, inadvertently anyway, move the book towards its ultimate resolution (this not giving anything away business is hard going, no?). Finally, there is a very good question as to why no one wonders why the body of Agatha was found wearing a ball gown. That important point isn't raised by even Georgie at the beginning. Seems a bit of a slip for our proto-detective. Young ladies were not prone for traipsing about the wilderness in green/blue velvet, after all.
So will kids dig it? Some will. Depends on how they come to it. Though my inclination would be to booktalk it to them on the murder mystery solving, if you do that then they might get turned off by the sweeter sister interactions at the start. Best if you inform them straight out that it's a book about two sisters who love one another very much until one ends up dead in a ditch and the other doesn't believe in the body. A good honest hook is all this title really needs to get some interest. And I've just gotta believe that a kid with a canny ear will pick up on everything Timberlake's doing. Hopefully anyway. It's a smart little book that does a small misstep from time to time but ultimately ends up being one of the most gripping little novels you'll come across. Smart and funny and not something a kid with a yen is likely to put down, it's a funky little number. Hope to see more books of the past like it in the future.
For ages 10 and up.
October 16, 2017
چند وقت است به نوجوان‌ها که کتاب هدیه می‌دهم، ازشان می‌خواهم بعد از خواندن بدهند من هم بخوانم. این جوری هم خودشان بیشتر ترغیب می‌شوند کتاب بخوانند، هم من سر از کتاب‌های نوجوانان در می‌آورم.
همین هم شد که این کتاب را خواندم. جذاب و گیرا بود و جاهایی هیجان داشت و جاهایی هم اشکم را در آورد. خوبی‌اش این بود که پایان خوش هم داشت و می‌شد کلی نتیجه و درس خوب ازش گرفت.
همین هم شد که این کتاب را خواندم. جذاب و گیرا بود و جاهایی هیجان داشت و جاهایی هم اشکم را در آورد. خوبی‌اش این بود که پایان خوش هم داشت و می‌شد کلی نتیجه و درس خوب ازش گرفت.
November 4, 2022
The Great Passenger Pigeon migration of 1871, brings hordes of strangers to Placid, Wisconsin. The flocks of birds nesting in the woods around the town mean meat and eggs for everyone. The hordes of pigeoners coming to hunt the birds mean business for every seller ten miles around.
Here, extra people mean extra money, prosperity for all, but particularly for the owners of the general store, the Bolte family.
But, as the skies clear of pigeons and the streets clear of people, tragedy strikes and Agatha Burkhardt—Georgie's older sister and Grandfather Bolte’s senior granddaughter—goes missing.
A few days later and a hundred miles away, in Dog Hollow, a body is found. The body is dressed in the most beautiful green-blue gown. There’s but one gown like that in the state. The gown Mrs. Burkhardt sew for her daughter Agatha.
The whole of Placid goes into mourning. Everyone but Georgie, who sets out to uncover the truth behind Agatha's disappearance. Alongside Georgie is Billy, Agatha’s first beau, and Placid’s handsome hunk.
Both Georgie and Billy carry regrets. Regrets that may have gotten Agatha killed.
Georgie also carries her Springfield single-shot rifle and the best aim in the region. Billy carries a repeater, seven shots without reloading, and a smile to melt any girl’s heart. The road to Dog Hollow is known for its predators, none more dangerous than the humans living along the river, so both weapons and talents will be needed.
To say that I liked this book is an understatement. It fascinated me. The historic facts, the narrative, the voice, the very convincing plot development and the very satisfying, albeit heartbreaking, conclusion work each on their own. But, all put together, they make for an excellent middle-grade novel.
It’s no secret that I have a weakness for stubborn protagonists, but only when they have the talent to back up their dodginess, and Georgie Burkhardt has lots of that. She’s also an outsider—to her family, the town people, her peers at school. She sees the world, and understands it, in ways that elude others. Yet, simple things other seem to catch on without difficulty are a mystery to her.
In Georgie, Timberlake has managed to create a character that is equal parts endearing and insufferable. You both want to hug Georgie hard and send her to her room for a time out. And, in my opinion, that’s the mark of good character development, creating a person that is not just one thing, but a little bit of many.
Likewise, Billy is also not a flat stereotype, but a conflicted young man in need of redemption.
To make the book even more readable, the voice, Georgie’s voice, is distinct and likable, different enough to be remembered but not far enough form everyday speech to become cartoon-like.
All in all, a great read.
PS I just learned there is a 2015 movie adaptation of this book, and now, I can’t wait to see it.
Here, extra people mean extra money, prosperity for all, but particularly for the owners of the general store, the Bolte family.
But, as the skies clear of pigeons and the streets clear of people, tragedy strikes and Agatha Burkhardt—Georgie's older sister and Grandfather Bolte’s senior granddaughter—goes missing.
A few days later and a hundred miles away, in Dog Hollow, a body is found. The body is dressed in the most beautiful green-blue gown. There’s but one gown like that in the state. The gown Mrs. Burkhardt sew for her daughter Agatha.
The whole of Placid goes into mourning. Everyone but Georgie, who sets out to uncover the truth behind Agatha's disappearance. Alongside Georgie is Billy, Agatha’s first beau, and Placid’s handsome hunk.
Both Georgie and Billy carry regrets. Regrets that may have gotten Agatha killed.
Georgie also carries her Springfield single-shot rifle and the best aim in the region. Billy carries a repeater, seven shots without reloading, and a smile to melt any girl’s heart. The road to Dog Hollow is known for its predators, none more dangerous than the humans living along the river, so both weapons and talents will be needed.
To say that I liked this book is an understatement. It fascinated me. The historic facts, the narrative, the voice, the very convincing plot development and the very satisfying, albeit heartbreaking, conclusion work each on their own. But, all put together, they make for an excellent middle-grade novel.
It’s no secret that I have a weakness for stubborn protagonists, but only when they have the talent to back up their dodginess, and Georgie Burkhardt has lots of that. She’s also an outsider—to her family, the town people, her peers at school. She sees the world, and understands it, in ways that elude others. Yet, simple things other seem to catch on without difficulty are a mystery to her.
In Georgie, Timberlake has managed to create a character that is equal parts endearing and insufferable. You both want to hug Georgie hard and send her to her room for a time out. And, in my opinion, that’s the mark of good character development, creating a person that is not just one thing, but a little bit of many.
Likewise, Billy is also not a flat stereotype, but a conflicted young man in need of redemption.
To make the book even more readable, the voice, Georgie’s voice, is distinct and likable, different enough to be remembered but not far enough form everyday speech to become cartoon-like.
All in all, a great read.
PS I just learned there is a 2015 movie adaptation of this book, and now, I can’t wait to see it.
December 18, 2014
You can smell and taste Timberlake's sentences like beef bourguignon drenched in a saporous burgundy wine sauce. That's a mouthful, no? I've never used the word, "saporous." Makes me sound smart, don't you think? Okay, I know you are not fooled by me, but you might be fooled by Georgie. Georgie has a high-kickin' vocabulary too. She uses words like veneration, ornithology, ablutions, to name a few. She delights in using big words. Listen to her conversation with the young Garrow's girl: "'It's a mule,'" I [Georgie] said irritably. I didn't care for my mount being referred to as a pet. Especially by a girl less than half my size, with not a tenth of my vocabulary." Meet Georgie. She is precise, blunt, strong-headed, and stubborn. Swagger in a bit of Annie Oakley and you have a fun character with a distinct voice. She's the right mix of youthful immaturity, thirteen-year-old sassy attitude, and raw honesty.
Georgie's sister, Agatha, has been found dead. When the body is returned to the family, it is in such an advanced state of decay it can't be properly identified. Georgie refuses to believe it is her sister. Guilt plagues her marrow because Agatha has run off as a result of Georgie interfering with Agatha's relationship with her fiance. Nobody likes a tattler, but imagine if your whistleblowing killed your sister. That's Georgie's quagmire. A quest to seek redemption and answers regarding what happened to Agatha lead Georgie on a giddyup adventure set in the late 1800's with guns, horses, passenger pigeons, and one hilarious mule.Grab yer spurs with this fun one.
Georgie's character and the gorgeous writing made me devour this story. The beginning uses flashbacks which I have an aversion to because when poorly done they pull the plug on pacing, but that isn't the case here. At least for me. The flashbacks introduce Agatha and also make Georgie's high vocabulary more plausible since Georgie is looking back as an adult on her experiences in 1871. The beginning has more flashbacks and once the mystery starts to get solved by Georgie, they trickle near the end to reflect Georgie's thoughts. I wondered if the pacing would have been served better if the character information on Agatha came through interactions with characters and plot moving forward using tension set in the present versus Georgie thinking about it. I did like how Timberlake transitioned into the flashbacks especially when Georgie is blasting glasses to smithereens with her shotgun. The flashbacks are short so I didn't feel they interfered with the pacing.
My reading notes are a "cornucopia" of great lines. "I was like some old cow on her cud, continually rechewing wilted, partially digested conversations.Billy folded his arms across his chest. He'd been rambling on and on about Agatha, oblivious to the fact that my mind had been elsewhere. (Some people assume your attention. It is annoying.)" Or "But up until that moment, I possessed absolute certainty of the rightness of my cause. I would have said, with confidence, that my sister was seeing Mr. Olmstead for his library. (Beware of such convictions, for they are fraught with peril.)" Or "memories pressed in on me, so I set the pencil down and picked up the Springfield rifle." Eventually my notes tapered to jots of interesting word combinations: "a cornucopia of admirable characteristics," "yelped happily," "chitchat and parlor games," "wrangled my emotions,""cinched up her face," "trampousing about," and more. Then there are the euphymisms: shat for... you got it! Easy to guess that one. Dadgum means goddamn or damn-dumb - just kidding. Not quite as easy to figure out as shat.
Good children's books tend to touch both kids and adults. One thing I got out of this was Georgie's stages of grief. She has to face a tragic death and at first denies it. When she does accept it, the pain of her grief is so primal and violent, she howls. I cried here because it reminded me of dealing with a tragic death in my own life where I listened to a loved one grieving and cried as if her soul was being ripped from her body. Her anguish was wrenching and, at least for me, Timberlake captures this emotion brilliantly when Georgie goes beserk. Georgie's next stage of grief is blaming herself for her sister's death and seeking redemption. Timberlake mixes humor with the grief so it doesn't become overwhelming. She also shows Georgie grieving over her older sister getting married and leaving home. My younger sister explained to me that she had those same feelings when I got married and said she cried as a teenager. While Georgie grieves that she will not be able to run the store with her sister, I recalled my sister asking me how could I live without her. In hindsight I should have talked about my upcoming marriage. I remember laughing when she said, "Who's going to find your socks for you or let you in the house when you forget your house key?" I always threw rocks at her window to let me in the house. It never dawned on me that she was sad and showing sisterly love.
Timberlake does a great job with the inner landscape of the characters. While the story is a murder mystery and historical novel on passenger pigeons, I felt the steady beat of dealing with the loss of a loved one moreso than solving the crime. The mystery has a few small bullet holes in it, but I'm not going to talk about it because I'll give away the plot. Some obvious questions aren't addressed and Georgie does some incredible feats, but it wasn't enough to derail the story. It might draw a raised brow, but the humor pulls it along. The ending didn't quite work for me. It puts the stress on the pigeons and I thought put the emphasis on guns and the environment - it felt too much like the author's opinions. Georgie's reflecting but it didn't strike the right chord with me. I think the chapter before that ends on the feather would have been stronger because that encompasses not only the birds but Agatha who is compared to a feather that floats in the air throughout the novel, rather than a feather that settles on the ground. I did like how Timberlake kept using the cougar episode to show how Georgie was traumatized by it and thus, reinforcing her youthfulness and inexperience. Billy's raising of four brothers and skills as a caregiver, were another nice detail that were built on in chapters from him cooking to cleaning scrapes. All-in-all this is a book I can ballyhoo to the students about without a problem.
One last line to leave you with, "Have I mentioned my full name? It's Georgina Louise Burkhardt. Now, Georgina doesn't suit me - it's the kind of name that has daisies growing out of it. But Georgie is fine by me and fine by everyone else too."
Georgie's sister, Agatha, has been found dead. When the body is returned to the family, it is in such an advanced state of decay it can't be properly identified. Georgie refuses to believe it is her sister. Guilt plagues her marrow because Agatha has run off as a result of Georgie interfering with Agatha's relationship with her fiance. Nobody likes a tattler, but imagine if your whistleblowing killed your sister. That's Georgie's quagmire. A quest to seek redemption and answers regarding what happened to Agatha lead Georgie on a giddyup adventure set in the late 1800's with guns, horses, passenger pigeons, and one hilarious mule.Grab yer spurs with this fun one.
Georgie's character and the gorgeous writing made me devour this story. The beginning uses flashbacks which I have an aversion to because when poorly done they pull the plug on pacing, but that isn't the case here. At least for me. The flashbacks introduce Agatha and also make Georgie's high vocabulary more plausible since Georgie is looking back as an adult on her experiences in 1871. The beginning has more flashbacks and once the mystery starts to get solved by Georgie, they trickle near the end to reflect Georgie's thoughts. I wondered if the pacing would have been served better if the character information on Agatha came through interactions with characters and plot moving forward using tension set in the present versus Georgie thinking about it. I did like how Timberlake transitioned into the flashbacks especially when Georgie is blasting glasses to smithereens with her shotgun. The flashbacks are short so I didn't feel they interfered with the pacing.
My reading notes are a "cornucopia" of great lines. "I was like some old cow on her cud, continually rechewing wilted, partially digested conversations.Billy folded his arms across his chest. He'd been rambling on and on about Agatha, oblivious to the fact that my mind had been elsewhere. (Some people assume your attention. It is annoying.)" Or "But up until that moment, I possessed absolute certainty of the rightness of my cause. I would have said, with confidence, that my sister was seeing Mr. Olmstead for his library. (Beware of such convictions, for they are fraught with peril.)" Or "memories pressed in on me, so I set the pencil down and picked up the Springfield rifle." Eventually my notes tapered to jots of interesting word combinations: "a cornucopia of admirable characteristics," "yelped happily," "chitchat and parlor games," "wrangled my emotions,""cinched up her face," "trampousing about," and more. Then there are the euphymisms: shat for... you got it! Easy to guess that one. Dadgum means goddamn or damn-dumb - just kidding. Not quite as easy to figure out as shat.
Good children's books tend to touch both kids and adults. One thing I got out of this was Georgie's stages of grief. She has to face a tragic death and at first denies it. When she does accept it, the pain of her grief is so primal and violent, she howls. I cried here because it reminded me of dealing with a tragic death in my own life where I listened to a loved one grieving and cried as if her soul was being ripped from her body. Her anguish was wrenching and, at least for me, Timberlake captures this emotion brilliantly when Georgie goes beserk. Georgie's next stage of grief is blaming herself for her sister's death and seeking redemption. Timberlake mixes humor with the grief so it doesn't become overwhelming. She also shows Georgie grieving over her older sister getting married and leaving home. My younger sister explained to me that she had those same feelings when I got married and said she cried as a teenager. While Georgie grieves that she will not be able to run the store with her sister, I recalled my sister asking me how could I live without her. In hindsight I should have talked about my upcoming marriage. I remember laughing when she said, "Who's going to find your socks for you or let you in the house when you forget your house key?" I always threw rocks at her window to let me in the house. It never dawned on me that she was sad and showing sisterly love.
Timberlake does a great job with the inner landscape of the characters. While the story is a murder mystery and historical novel on passenger pigeons, I felt the steady beat of dealing with the loss of a loved one moreso than solving the crime. The mystery has a few small bullet holes in it, but I'm not going to talk about it because I'll give away the plot. Some obvious questions aren't addressed and Georgie does some incredible feats, but it wasn't enough to derail the story. It might draw a raised brow, but the humor pulls it along. The ending didn't quite work for me. It puts the stress on the pigeons and I thought put the emphasis on guns and the environment - it felt too much like the author's opinions. Georgie's reflecting but it didn't strike the right chord with me. I think the chapter before that ends on the feather would have been stronger because that encompasses not only the birds but Agatha who is compared to a feather that floats in the air throughout the novel, rather than a feather that settles on the ground. I did like how Timberlake kept using the cougar episode to show how Georgie was traumatized by it and thus, reinforcing her youthfulness and inexperience. Billy's raising of four brothers and skills as a caregiver, were another nice detail that were built on in chapters from him cooking to cleaning scrapes. All-in-all this is a book I can ballyhoo to the students about without a problem.
One last line to leave you with, "Have I mentioned my full name? It's Georgina Louise Burkhardt. Now, Georgina doesn't suit me - it's the kind of name that has daisies growing out of it. But Georgie is fine by me and fine by everyone else too."
August 25, 2016
I really did like this book... but...
I've never really been one that tends to like westerns. This is a western. It's cool in the fact it's a YA novel set in the Wild West in a generation of cancer patients, werewolves and vampires, it's interesting to see something so different.
However, I have never been a western lover. I mean, yes it literally runs in my blood (my grandparents and parents live between Louis L'Amours like they live between breaths) and yeah I've seen hundreds western movies/TV shows more than the average human being (thanks, grandpa, since it's all he watches). I grew up on Gunsmoke, practically knew the entire Ponderosa Ranch, and have sat through practically all John Wayne movies.
And, yeah, I have read a few Louis L'Amour too.
If I were to compare this to a Louis L'Amour, I'd compare it to Ride the River which is my favorite L'Amour. Just like RtR, One Came Home introduces us to a powerful female protagonist who can shoot your thumb off without trying. She was likable and relate-able.
Also, I loved Billy.
But, that being said, this book was so slow for me to read. I'd have to remind myself to read it. It was enjoyable while I was reading it, but as soon as I set it down, I'd forget it.
I guess what I'm saying is, if you like westerns, you'll adore this. Perhaps if you didn't grow up drowning in westerns you might like this book, find it unique and truly moving. But, like I said, I grew up drowning in westerns.
I've never really been one that tends to like westerns. This is a western. It's cool in the fact it's a YA novel set in the Wild West in a generation of cancer patients, werewolves and vampires, it's interesting to see something so different.
However, I have never been a western lover. I mean, yes it literally runs in my blood (my grandparents and parents live between Louis L'Amours like they live between breaths) and yeah I've seen hundreds western movies/TV shows more than the average human being (thanks, grandpa, since it's all he watches). I grew up on Gunsmoke, practically knew the entire Ponderosa Ranch, and have sat through practically all John Wayne movies.
And, yeah, I have read a few Louis L'Amour too.
If I were to compare this to a Louis L'Amour, I'd compare it to Ride the River which is my favorite L'Amour. Just like RtR, One Came Home introduces us to a powerful female protagonist who can shoot your thumb off without trying. She was likable and relate-able.
Also, I loved Billy.
But, that being said, this book was so slow for me to read. I'd have to remind myself to read it. It was enjoyable while I was reading it, but as soon as I set it down, I'd forget it.
I guess what I'm saying is, if you like westerns, you'll adore this. Perhaps if you didn't grow up drowning in westerns you might like this book, find it unique and truly moving. But, like I said, I grew up drowning in westerns.
March 30, 2021
جملات آخر کتاب روانیم کرده.
جمله آخرش مخصوصا ، کتاب به شدت پیشنهاد میشه خونده بشه ، چون به نظر من همه باید چرخیدن رو یاد بگیرن، بین اون همه کبوتر ، صدای قلبشون رو میشنوی،پنجه هاشون رو احساس میکنی و اونجاست که باید بچرخی و زندگی کنی:)
جمله آخرش مخصوصا ، کتاب به شدت پیشنهاد میشه خونده بشه ، چون به نظر من همه باید چرخیدن رو یاد بگیرن، بین اون همه کبوتر ، صدای قلبشون رو میشنوی،پنجه هاشون رو احساس میکنی و اونجاست که باید بچرخی و زندگی کنی:)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2013
This book didn't quite make it for me. First of all, I am not sure what age group the book is for. The things that are of major concern in the book seem more like interests of teens, but the main character is what I would consider to be a tween.
Secondly, the narrative seems to be uneven - at times venturing into grown up things; then abruptly switching to more childish things. I suppose that is the nature of this age group, but it didn't feel natural to me. In fact, some of the plot twists seem contrived, where others seemed obvious.
The book is enjoyable enough that I actually read the whole thing in a day, but I am not sure I could sell it to kids.
Secondly, the narrative seems to be uneven - at times venturing into grown up things; then abruptly switching to more childish things. I suppose that is the nature of this age group, but it didn't feel natural to me. In fact, some of the plot twists seem contrived, where others seemed obvious.
The book is enjoyable enough that I actually read the whole thing in a day, but I am not sure I could sell it to kids.
June 17, 2023
حقیقت اینه که تا دیروز توی ذهنم بود بهش چهار تا ستاره بدم، امروز تمومش کردم و واقعا یکی هم زیادیه!
این چرتو پرتا چیه مینویسن برای نونهال و چرا ترجمه میکنید اینا رو؟
به معنی واقعی کلمه هیچ اتفاقی نیفتاد در مجموع! مسافت دویست و سی و دو صفحه. جابجایی؟ صفر.
اون وسطا یه سری اتفاقات مهیج و جالب و درگیری و دزدی و اینا پیش اومد، ولی خیلی بی علت تموم شد. حتی تموم هم نشد؛ ول شد.
مسیر اصلی داستان هم که گشتن دنبال آگاتا بود، اونم چرت و پرت به سر انجام رسید.
این چرتو پرتا چیه مینویسن برای نونهال و چرا ترجمه میکنید اینا رو؟
به معنی واقعی کلمه هیچ اتفاقی نیفتاد در مجموع! مسافت دویست و سی و دو صفحه. جابجایی؟ صفر.
اون وسطا یه سری اتفاقات مهیج و جالب و درگیری و دزدی و اینا پیش اومد، ولی خیلی بی علت تموم شد. حتی تموم هم نشد؛ ول شد.
مسیر اصلی داستان هم که گشتن دنبال آگاتا بود، اونم چرت و پرت به سر انجام رسید.
April 2, 2013
This is a slow boil of a story, set in 1871 in a small town in Wisconsin. A series of events leads to the sheriff bringing home the body of a young girl, a death her younger sister refuses to accept. As she leaves home to investigate, the story becomes part mystery, part adventure. However, it develops at a pace equivalent to two people rocking on a porch, chatting mildly about the weather. In part, this is due to a choice of the main character of Georgie as the narrator. She lends a humorous tone to everything in the book, but takes her time doing it. By the end of the book, this reader was starting to suspect that the book's slow pace is because there isn't as much to reveal in the plot as one might think. What characters ultimately do seems to be driven by their designated end point in the story and that sometimes does not make sense with their other actions. Overall, this is a solid addition to the historical fiction genre that is not, at times, a smooth ride.
April 18, 2021
Enjoyable. Good characters and lots of description. Newberry medal winner.
March 3, 2013
Outstanding story. Reminded me of True Grit (for a younger audience).
November 14, 2021
خیلی حس خاصی به این کتاب نداشتم. یه جورایی تا آخرش داشتم توی سرم می‌پرسیدم "خب؟".
توصیفات خیلی خوب بود؛ توجه نویسنده به فضاسازی خیلی زیاد بود اما یه جورایی می‌تونم بگم پایانش توی ذوق می‌زد. اون همه معما و سفر و سختی که چی بشه؟
در واقع خود سفری که تقریبا کل کتاب بود، کارهای شخصیت اصلی و اتفاقات و حوادثی که نوشته شده بود خوب بود اما همه‌ی اینا جوری به پایان رسیده بود که خیلی بی معنی بود!
نصفشون که رفتن سر خونه و زندگیاشون، یه نفرم که خیلی توی داستان مهم بود یهو بعد کلی سختی نبودش با یه چیز ساده توجیه شد و تمام!
شاید، شاید من انتظارم از کتاب‌ها بالا رفته که این کتاب خیلی به مزاقم خوش نیومد اما واقعا کتاب برام بی معنی بود.
توصیفات خیلی خوب بود؛ توجه نویسنده به فضاسازی خیلی زیاد بود اما یه جورایی می‌تونم بگم پایانش توی ذوق می‌زد. اون همه معما و سفر و سختی که چی بشه؟
در واقع خود سفری که تقریبا کل کتاب بود، کارهای شخصیت اصلی و اتفاقات و حوادثی که نوشته شده بود خوب بود اما همه‌ی اینا جوری به پایان رسیده بود که خیلی بی معنی بود!
نصفشون که رفتن سر خونه و زندگیاشون، یه نفرم که خیلی توی داستان مهم بود یهو بعد کلی سختی نبودش با یه چیز ساده توجیه شد و تمام!
شاید، شاید من انتظارم از کتاب‌ها بالا رفته که این کتاب خیلی به مزاقم خوش نیومد اما واقعا کتاب برام بی معنی بود.
September 6, 2017
Clever, witty, and kept me guessing! I wasn't sure at first, since parts are a little grizzly and the main character's voice is so unique. But all the little twists on Georgie's adventure kept me reading and I really fell in love with the story. I don't recommend for young readers because of intensity and ... well all the questions revolve around a body that was difficult to identify, so ... ;) Everything is handled well though, as Georgie is only 13. True Grit meets Nancy Drew in 1871 Wisconsin.
July 27, 2021
DNF 38%
This book is not bad I just didn’t realize when I started this audio book that it is a middle grade book or is written like one. It is just not something I want to spend time finishing. So far the main character has complained non stop and spent entire chapters talking about Pigeons.
This book is not bad I just didn’t realize when I started this audio book that it is a middle grade book or is written like one. It is just not something I want to spend time finishing. So far the main character has complained non stop and spent entire chapters talking about Pigeons.
January 19, 2023
بد نبود. انصافا انتظار بیشتری ازش داشتم. خیلی قوی و جذاب شروع شد ولی تا برسه به آخر کتاب، داستان حسابی وا رفت O_o
June 10, 2024
I love randomly marking books on my goodreads tbr...and then coming back years later and finally reading it without reading the synopsis. It's very much a trust fall with my younger self that truly thought I would enjoy it😂
One Came Home was good! A bit hard to get into, as it's not my usual cup of tea as far as the jarration goes, but I eventually got hooked and really enjoyed it.
Also, Georgie and Billy were so fun to read together. I wasn't entirely satisfied with how the book ended, but also...not everything can give us warm fuzzies, now, can it?😆
One Came Home was good! A bit hard to get into, as it's not my usual cup of tea as far as the jarration goes, but I eventually got hooked and really enjoyed it.
Also, Georgie and Billy were so fun to read together. I wasn't entirely satisfied with how the book ended, but also...not everything can give us warm fuzzies, now, can it?😆
October 25, 2020
I thought this could've been an interesting read with the boys. A sort of western, I thought, but a mystery which is always intriguing. However, we found that it was rather boring... Nothing ever seems to happen and always always a long way around about things. I think only about a half of chapter was rather suspenseful and thrilling while the rest was blah. I think the mystery itself is fairly interesting and protagonist easily likeable but we just couldn't really get into the story itself.
March 31, 2017
It was really good and full of suspense, but if you understand the beginning and the plot twist, you can see the end coming right at you.
December 16, 2024
Update December 21st, 2018
I reread this book to my class, and I had underestimated how much I liked this one in my last short review (I left it below). The star of this book is the voice of the main character Georgie who is also the narrator. Her take on situations is very entertaining and interesting, and now after rereading, I think that the pacing of the story was better than I remember. There are some times in this where you may think nothing is really happening, but these times are actually when Georgie's voice is strongest.
If you are a teacher who would like to teach about the Story Structure, this book is perfect for it. It has a strong introduction and setting, good rising action, an excellent climax, and a really good falling action/ denouement (yes, I used that word).
I recommend this book, as a perfect stand alone, weekend read, which is not the norm these days, as everything, it seems, is a trilogy. A good read.
My old 3 star review...don't quite agree anymore
I enjoyed this look at a Midwestern town and an event that changed it, if only for a while. I also enjoyed the voice of the main character Georgie, and her relationship with others. The book felt genuine and well researched.
The only issue I had was the lack of real payoff. I felt that the climax came too early, and wasn't as strong as I normally prefer. After the climax, the book meandered towards the end with a pace that left me feeling unsatisfied.
By the time the last chapter came, I was unfortunately not really invested anymore.
This was a descent story, with an awesome voice, but I can't help but feel it was missing something.
Update 2024
I still enjoyed this. The writing is superb, and I finally think I understand what the book was missing. I think the book ties up every loose end TOO well in a tight little bow. I enjoy it still. Timberlake is an exceptional writer. It is difficult to tell a story like this one, and inject the action that many young people crave. Still a good read.
I reread this book to my class, and I had underestimated how much I liked this one in my last short review (I left it below). The star of this book is the voice of the main character Georgie who is also the narrator. Her take on situations is very entertaining and interesting, and now after rereading, I think that the pacing of the story was better than I remember. There are some times in this where you may think nothing is really happening, but these times are actually when Georgie's voice is strongest.
If you are a teacher who would like to teach about the Story Structure, this book is perfect for it. It has a strong introduction and setting, good rising action, an excellent climax, and a really good falling action/ denouement (yes, I used that word).
I recommend this book, as a perfect stand alone, weekend read, which is not the norm these days, as everything, it seems, is a trilogy. A good read.
My old 3 star review...don't quite agree anymore
I enjoyed this look at a Midwestern town and an event that changed it, if only for a while. I also enjoyed the voice of the main character Georgie, and her relationship with others. The book felt genuine and well researched.
The only issue I had was the lack of real payoff. I felt that the climax came too early, and wasn't as strong as I normally prefer. After the climax, the book meandered towards the end with a pace that left me feeling unsatisfied.
By the time the last chapter came, I was unfortunately not really invested anymore.
This was a descent story, with an awesome voice, but I can't help but feel it was missing something.
Update 2024
I still enjoyed this. The writing is superb, and I finally think I understand what the book was missing. I think the book ties up every loose end TOO well in a tight little bow. I enjoy it still. Timberlake is an exceptional writer. It is difficult to tell a story like this one, and inject the action that many young people crave. Still a good read.
September 20, 2015
I love this book. Historical novel. No romance, but full of mystery and adventure.
Sepanjang bacaan saya terbayangkan Aria dalam Games of Thrones. Watak Geogie Burkhardts seakan sama dengan Aria yg kasar dan suka cari jawapan dr persoalan. Setting tahun 1871 membawa saya mengembara jauh. Terbayang2 setting filem2 western dan well again GOT hahahaha. Permulaan menarik buat saya tak sabar nak tahu kenapa kakak dia mati? Memang betul mati? Siapa punya kerja and why? Ada flashback, sedikit slow siapa yg tak sabar myb akan letak novel ni, tapi sebab saya nakkan jawapan, jadi saya baca juga, sebagai penulis, saya faham kenapa penulis ni letak flashback. Dan sebagai pembaca, saya baca juga utk tahu apa yg berlaku sebelum.
Ending mengujakan tapi... Baca sendiri :) (saya bayangkan jln citer lain, tapi lain yg berlaku, it's ok)
3 star - i enjoyed reading this book.
Sepanjang bacaan saya terbayangkan Aria dalam Games of Thrones. Watak Geogie Burkhardts seakan sama dengan Aria yg kasar dan suka cari jawapan dr persoalan. Setting tahun 1871 membawa saya mengembara jauh. Terbayang2 setting filem2 western dan well again GOT hahahaha. Permulaan menarik buat saya tak sabar nak tahu kenapa kakak dia mati? Memang betul mati? Siapa punya kerja and why? Ada flashback, sedikit slow siapa yg tak sabar myb akan letak novel ni, tapi sebab saya nakkan jawapan, jadi saya baca juga, sebagai penulis, saya faham kenapa penulis ni letak flashback. Dan sebagai pembaca, saya baca juga utk tahu apa yg berlaku sebelum.
Ending mengujakan tapi... Baca sendiri :) (saya bayangkan jln citer lain, tapi lain yg berlaku, it's ok)
3 star - i enjoyed reading this book.
August 9, 2021
Amy Timberlake is a skilled writer, and I enjoyed this book very much. I appreciate how she incorporated history without smacking the audience over the head with it (a sadly common problem with YA histfic).
My main concern is the age level. Most kids read up a little bit--they prefer a protagonist who is slightly older than they. Georgie is 13, but she is dealing with some heavy issues (and also proposes marriage to a 19-year-old!), and this might be more suitable for mid- to late-teens. This is one that makes me wish, yet again, that there was no such thing as YA. If a book is this good, it's just as valuable for adults as for teens, and the question for teen readers is primarily: are you ready to read about a tragic death? and not merely: are you in the YA age group?
My main concern is the age level. Most kids read up a little bit--they prefer a protagonist who is slightly older than they. Georgie is 13, but she is dealing with some heavy issues (and also proposes marriage to a 19-year-old!), and this might be more suitable for mid- to late-teens. This is one that makes me wish, yet again, that there was no such thing as YA. If a book is this good, it's just as valuable for adults as for teens, and the question for teen readers is primarily: are you ready to read about a tragic death? and not merely: are you in the YA age group?
October 20, 2017
کبوترهای وحشی داستان سفر یک دختر سیزده ساله برای پیدا کردن خواهرش است که گفته می‌شود مرده و جنازه‌ی بی‌سرش هم دفن شده. اما جسد چندان قابل شناسایی نبوده به‌جز لباس و همین باعث سفر دختر داستان شده. از طرفی دختر خودش را در مرگ خواهرش مقصر می‌داند که این بخشش مرا یاد فیلم Atonement انداخت که داستانش کمی شبیه این کتاب بود. ماجرا خوب پیش می‌رفت و دغدغه‌های دختر سیزده ساله به‌نظرم نزدیک به واقعیت بود هرچند به‌نظرم کمی پسرانه بود فقط مشکل من پایان‌بندی و پیدا شدن خواهر دخترک بود.
November 5, 2018
Really a dang good story. Not my favorite genres, but entertaining. Oh, and educational & illuminating, too, as one would hope from a Newbery book.
The mystery is kinda weak, perhaps. And I'm not sure how the mother lets her be such a tomboy (maybe that battle was lost before we met the family). But I love the subtlety, the non-preachiness of all the life lessons our girl learns as she pivots between being a child and being an adult.
I mean, it's big events happening outside her, giving her cause to rethink her own identities as sister, spinster, store-keeper, secret-keeper, hunter.... Read attentively to note all that causes her to figure things out and to grow up during this time.
The mystery is kinda weak, perhaps. And I'm not sure how the mother lets her be such a tomboy (maybe that battle was lost before we met the family). But I love the subtlety, the non-preachiness of all the life lessons our girl learns as she pivots between being a child and being an adult.
I mean, it's big events happening outside her, giving her cause to rethink her own identities as sister, spinster, store-keeper, secret-keeper, hunter.... Read attentively to note all that causes her to figure things out and to grow up during this time.
July 24, 2017
4.5 ⭐️
The story telling was great, I will reread it several times!
The story telling was great, I will reread it several times!
January 10, 2019
I really didn't like this book. It is a book about a little girl who has a sister that is missing and there is a body that is dead that has on the sister's dress.
December 3, 2018
Couldn’t put it down. How often do you get historical fiction that is also a murder mystery and a coming-of-age story, funny and sad, with multi-faceted characters, an intriguing plot, interesting little-known facts woven in so that you hardly notice you’re learning something, and it all takes place in our wonderful, beautiful, fascinating state of Wisconsin? (Yes, I did say fascinating. Could it be that Wisconsin is so middle-America-ordinary that it constantly compels people to scratch under the surface for more substance? We have secrets.....) I don’t often recommend a book to everyone from 5th grade to adults, but this one has the span. Loved it.
June 25, 2014
Thirteen-year-old Georgie Burkhart can shoot as straight as can be without missing, do anything else her grandfather taught her like tracking and hiding, and tend the family store account books. She wants nothing more than to run with family store with her older sister Agatha by her side. In 1871 Wisconsin, that's about all a woman can expect to do with her life if she doesn't marry, and Georgie is NEVER getting married. Agatha, however, has other ideas. She is passionate about natural and would love to go to college and study natural science. She's fascinated by the hoards of passenger pigeons who flock to Placid, Wisconsin to roost. So, when Agatha disappears with some pigeon hunters, everyone assumes she's run off to university. Then the sheriff returns home with bits of a body with auburn hair wearing a blue/green dress - a ball gown Agatha's Mama made. Everyone assumes Agatha is dead, except for Georgie. The one thing she can not do is accept her sister's fate. So she sets off on a journey to find her sister accompanied by the onerous Billy McCabe, Agatha's former beau. Georgie experiences many adventures along the way and lives an entire lifetime in only a few days. will the truth remain buried or will Georgie find out what happened to Agatha?
This is a gripping mystery novel that I had a hard time putting down. At first I kept falling asleep in the car while listening, but I was interested enough in the story to rewind and start again a few times. Once I got into the story, I had to know what happened to Agatha! I thought I knew but the clues kept pointing in so many other directions, I wasn't sure. The last third of the book, after the journey, drags on too long. It's all telling and not much action. It seems kind of tacked on. It takes too long to wrap up the loose ends. There is a lot of humor in the story to balance out the sadness. The violence is a little bit graphic but nothing that really bothered me too much.
The setting is interesting but Wisconsin wasn't exactly the wild west in 1871. I could picture Georgie and her journey easily from the descriptions. I thought there was a bit too much history tossed in randomly. The pigeons are fine but the author's note contains too much about the pigeons. The history tossed in at the end doesn't fit with the story. I know what the author was trying to do but it seemed forced and made the message heavy handed. I also found lengthy passages with metaphysical and philosophical pondering too long and too heavy for the novel. Otherwise, the plot was great.
Tara Sands does an excellent job reading this book. She uses a country twang sort of voice of Georgie, not quite Annie Get Your Gun but close. She sounds like a young teenager. She pitches her voice lower for Billy and uses different voices for the adults Georgie encounters. She's not as diverse as Jim dale but I really enjoyed the voices.
The characters are very memorable, especially the hoydenish Georgie. I can't help but love Georgie. She's so earnest and innocent in the beginning. I didn't understand why she didn't do what she did at the end in the first place but she needed the journey to grow as a character. I really liked her character development. She changes a lot as a result of all she's been through. I liked her best when she was acting stubborn and hoydenish. She was very mean to Billy but I can understand her feelings. She's still a child and thinks like a child at times. I don't know how I feel about Billy. He's a difficult character. In some ways, he's as childish as Georgie and not as smart, but in other ways, he's a responsible adult. Agatha is selfish. I can relate to her dreams and desires and the ambition to go after what she wants, but she didn't behave very well by running off without word to her family. They would have worried even without the body.
I really enjoyed this book that I downloaded from the library without even reading reviews. I definitely recommend this book for people 12+. I think young boys would like this as much as girls. Georgie is a tomboy and there's plenty of action to keep boys interested. Though there's a bit of secondary romance but Georgie isn't interested in boys yet. She does admire Billy's figure as he strips down to his union suit but it's very innocent.
This is a gripping mystery novel that I had a hard time putting down. At first I kept falling asleep in the car while listening, but I was interested enough in the story to rewind and start again a few times. Once I got into the story, I had to know what happened to Agatha! I thought I knew but the clues kept pointing in so many other directions, I wasn't sure. The last third of the book, after the journey, drags on too long. It's all telling and not much action. It seems kind of tacked on. It takes too long to wrap up the loose ends. There is a lot of humor in the story to balance out the sadness. The violence is a little bit graphic but nothing that really bothered me too much.
The setting is interesting but Wisconsin wasn't exactly the wild west in 1871. I could picture Georgie and her journey easily from the descriptions. I thought there was a bit too much history tossed in randomly. The pigeons are fine but the author's note contains too much about the pigeons. The history tossed in at the end doesn't fit with the story. I know what the author was trying to do but it seemed forced and made the message heavy handed. I also found lengthy passages with metaphysical and philosophical pondering too long and too heavy for the novel. Otherwise, the plot was great.
Tara Sands does an excellent job reading this book. She uses a country twang sort of voice of Georgie, not quite Annie Get Your Gun but close. She sounds like a young teenager. She pitches her voice lower for Billy and uses different voices for the adults Georgie encounters. She's not as diverse as Jim dale but I really enjoyed the voices.
The characters are very memorable, especially the hoydenish Georgie. I can't help but love Georgie. She's so earnest and innocent in the beginning. I didn't understand why she didn't do what she did at the end in the first place but she needed the journey to grow as a character. I really liked her character development. She changes a lot as a result of all she's been through. I liked her best when she was acting stubborn and hoydenish. She was very mean to Billy but I can understand her feelings. She's still a child and thinks like a child at times. I don't know how I feel about Billy. He's a difficult character. In some ways, he's as childish as Georgie and not as smart, but in other ways, he's a responsible adult. Agatha is selfish. I can relate to her dreams and desires and the ambition to go after what she wants, but she didn't behave very well by running off without word to her family. They would have worried even without the body.
I really enjoyed this book that I downloaded from the library without even reading reviews. I definitely recommend this book for people 12+. I think young boys would like this as much as girls. Georgie is a tomboy and there's plenty of action to keep boys interested. Though there's a bit of secondary romance but Georgie isn't interested in boys yet. She does admire Billy's figure as he strips down to his union suit but it's very innocent.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,485 reviews