Road to Tater Hill

by Edith M. Hemingway

Annie struggles with grief after the death of her newborn sister.

Annie can always count on spending summers at her grandparents’. This summer should be even better because Mama is going to have a baby soon. Before Daddy leaves for his Air Force assignment, he gives Annie a journal for summer memories. But now Annie is grieving over the death of her newborn sister. How can she tell Daddy that ever since the baby died, Mama is slipping away? If Annie wrote those words, Mama might stay that way forever. The only comfort Annie finds is in holding a stone she calls her “rock baby.” Then Annie secretly befriends a mysterious woman who helps Annie accept her loss, while Annie hopes to draw her new friend back into the community. But all that is interrupted when a crisis reveals their unlikely alliance and leads to a surprising turn of events.

Genres: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Grief, Realistic Fiction, Historical, Childrens, Fiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

The death of a child touches a wide circle of people. In this book, the author does a wonderful job of exploring the effects of that loss. More than the story of the death of a sister, the book also evokes the emotions involved in many relationships and the far-reaching changes that can take place. Spending the summer in the North Carolina mountains with her grandparents and her mother, eleven-year-old Annie goes from little girl to young adolescent as she learns about grief, friendship, and family. Annie befriends a mysterious mountain woman who has dealt with her own grief. Annie also learns that even a young neighbor boy is not unaffected by her family’s loss. Because of their own grief, her mother and grandparents are not always able to provide her with comfort. The readers get a look at American life in the 1960’s and much to identify with. This is a very moving and well-told story.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read this for Battle of the Books and I was pleasantly surprised. It's a beautifully written, harsh story. Very likable characters.

[Chloe Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heart warming story about how this girl has to live when her younger sister died and meets a women that changes her life.

[Noel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book because the characters were easy to get to know.It reminded me how things have changed so much in just under 50 years. It is a good book to read with a middle school girl and talk about the issues. In fact the book makes for much richer reading if you have the background of the social norms at the time.

It was not until the late 60's early 70's that premature babies had a high survival rate. Now we grieve as a community, but the back then it was a hushed up matter. Children were not included in the grieving process as they are now. Mother's were discouraged from seeing their dead children. Mothers were oftened viewed as a failure to not be able to bring a child to term. As I read this book it really brought home to me that Jackie Kennedy not only had to face grief once in front of a nation, but twice in a just 4 months.

Shock treatments were used up to the late 60's to treat patients who did not respond to other therapies. This is another subject that was largely dealt with shame and as " a family matter" in the 60's. The stigma of this treatment was immense on a family. In fact it was the political campaign of McGovern/ Eagleston that helped bring it to the open as people debated if a person treated with ECT was capable of stepping in to run a country. It was in 70's that more openess and acceptance really started to grow. While researching this topic I was surprised to see articles on this therpay making a comeback in 2009/2010. Guess we will have to wait and see how that goes.

Spousal abuse opions have also changed dramatically in the same time frame. I seriously doubt today that she would have been convicted.

This is a book about struggling to make sense in a world gone upside down on you. Annie struggles first on her own and then with the help of friends and relatives. You have a sense of hope by the end of the book that with time all will work out for the family.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eleven-year-old Annie and her mother are spending the summer with her grandparents, as usual. What's unusual about this trip is that her father is overseas in Germany. Annie and her mother desperately miss him. What's worse is that Mama has just given birth to Annie's little sister much too early. The tiny baby only survived a few hours. Daddy never got to see her, neither did Annie.

Annie can't take comfort in her normal summer activities. She doesn't want to see her friends, climb trees are play in the creek. She spends a lot of time alone. During one of her wanderings she encounters a beat-up old house that locals call The Murder House. Local legend has it that the woman who used to live there killed her husband and is spending the rest of her life in jail.

Annie doesn't find a blood-thirsty killer as the local kids have invented. She finds a timid, shy woman who has spent the last 30 years of her life in jail for self-defense. Her husband beat her awfully. So one day she killed him. Men at the time didn't care why she did it. So they jailed her.

From her Annie learns to weave, to listen, to think. After learning that the older woman also lost a baby, Annie gets a bit of an insight to what her mother is going through. Annie has been frustrated with her mother. She doesn't think that her mother knows she exists anymore. And when her grandparents start talking about electric shock therapy, Annie becomes frightened. All of this is explained to her and she is better able to cope with her mother's depression.

Recommended for mature children. A very introspective novel, no humor, action or violence.

[Kaylee R · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book, Road to Tater Hill is about this 10 year old named Annie and shes going through a tough time with her family. Her father is in Germany, her mom was pregnant and shes with her grandma and grandpa. But when her mom gives birth.. none of them were there.. they were at home, except her dad is still in Germany. They find out the next day that the baby, they named Mary Kate, had passed away.. Annie and her grandparents were walking out the door when they heard she died. They were all so upset, Annie was very depressed about this.
The day after, Annie's mom came home. Everybody was so depressed Annie just needed to get out of the house, so she went on a walk. She goes by this river and when she gets there she finds a rock.. And she pretends its a baby, and she treats it like a real baby and she goes back to see it everyday.. Her grandparents and mom are so caught up with the loss of the baby, they all get so frustrated with Annie, so they hardly notice shes gone. And she goes to this house called “The Murderers House” and shes told not to go there but again, no one is paying attention to her. She meets this woman.. and she doesn't know if shes the murderer or not, but she lives in the “murder” house, Annie is trying to figure out everything, Shes very depressed about what shes going through.

[Katie G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Has tragedy ever happened in your family? Do you ever feel alone? In the book ‘Road to Tater Hill’ by Edith M. Hemingway Annie’s family has to deal with the loss of Annie’s baby sister Mary Kate. While Annie’s family is grieving over the loss of the baby Annie feels alone and abandoned by her family. One day Annie was taking a walk in the woods and she sees the silhouette of an older women. “Who was that farther over in the woods? It looked like a girl, but who would be walking around in the woods alone?” Annie asked herself. The next day decided to walk back down to the woods to see if she could find the older women again. When Annie came across an abandoned house she decided to walk around it and she happened to find the older women sitting there on the back porch. Annie and the older women grew closer and closer as the weeks went by. Annie’s mom was going through depression and whenever Annie felt alone she would go to the old abandoned house to talk to the older women. As time goes by Annie’s mom heals and Annie doesn’t feel so alone. I liked this book because I can relate to some of the problems Annie goes through throughout the story. I recommend this book to students the age of 12 and older.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in 1963, Annie's dad is in the Air Force, each summer Annie and her mother stay with grandparents in the Carolinas. Annie has friends there, they have traditions, it is a fun way to spend summers. This year is special, because a new baby is coming. But- Mary Kate comes too soon and dies. This story travels the roads of grief as Annie's mother retreats into her dark place, Annie's grandparents try to protect her from grim reality, and Annie tries valiantly to walk her own path to acceptance of her sister's death. Annie finds unlikely support in a local legend when she finds that her playmates don't know any more than the adults how to cope with this unexpected loss.
I was struck with the reality that no matter what we are faced with we do the best we can and still just bungle along hoping against hope that our assumptions are correct. Annie's mom must confront this when she realizes that the people around her need to count on her as much as she does them.

[Ariel Uppstrom · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an okay book. It dealt with some interesting topics, infant mortality, postpartum depression, ex-convicts, but not in a really in-depth or impacting way. The main character, Annie, loses her day old sister. Her mother has difficulty overcoming the loss and distances herself from Annie. During this time, Annie meets a reclusive ex-con, Eliza, who murdered her husband in self-defense. Annie leans on Eliza as a mother figure and Eliza leans on her as she becomes reacquainted with society. Everything comes to a head in a weird situation, but of course everything is neatly resolved.

Overall, I felt this was a good book for really young kids dealing with possibly difficult situations, maybe 6th grade. I felt it was too superficial though to really aid anyone in dealing with these topics or looking to have a deep discussion on these issues. The dialogue and character actions were also pretty quaintly written and didn't really seem human or natural.

[Sandra Stiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first thing this book reminded me of was the book “Getting Near to Baby” by Audrey Couloumbis. Maybe it is because I have an affinity to the hills and mountains of Tennessee and the Carolinas that I love a story like this. The fears of losing her mother to the depression that has engulfed her after the premature birth and death of her baby has left Annie afraid/ Her father is away in the Air Force and she is afraid to tell him of her fears. If she voices them they might come true. Helping her through her own grief is an outcast rumored to be a murderer. Annie is not sure who to trust but she puts her trust in this old woman. Once again another emotional read. I really enjoyed it. I felt it started a little slow and for that reason I am afraid my reluctant readers might give up too quickly. However, I look forward to sharing it with my students.

[Kirby · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a dear and sweet first book this is! Edith Hemingway (what a name!) carries us to rural North Carolina in the 1960s as we live with 10-year-old Annie for a particularly painful summer. I liked Annie and her relationships with her family, as well as her friendship with an odd old woman. Annie is confused and hurt after her mother loses a baby and begins to withdraw so completely that no one seems to be able to help her. Every element of this story was believable and genuine to me except for a mention of electric shock treatment for the mother. That seemed to come out of nowhere and took me out of the story. But this small quibble should not stop you from spending some time with Annie.

[Leslie Fitzpatrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty depressing book from beginning to end, although a lot of the issues are settled at the end of the book there's not really anything wonderfully happy to balance out all the sadness. I think there are lots of good things to mine from a teaching standpoint and some interesting things to discuss, mainly how things have changed. I talked to one student who could really relate because she had a stillborn younger sibling and in today's world she was able to see that baby and get therapy to help her deal with the loss, it wasn't something everyone ignored and acted ashamed of like many of the characters do in this book.

[Abby Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Annie is spending the summer of 1963 with her grandparents in North Carolina when her mother gives birth to a premature baby girl who dies. Annie's grieving the loss of a baby sister she never got to meet and she's worried that her mother's depression will never lift.

I mean, it was okay. It bugged me that I couldn't really tell it was historical fiction until the last third or so of the book. More details of the time would have been appreciated. I found the story to be kind of boring. Not my thing, I guess.

[Patsi Trollinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edie Hemingway is a fine writer, and this book makes a strong addition to the body of children's books that feature Appalachian settings. Set in the mountains of North Carolina in 1963, it pulls together several important themes: a father absent because of war, a mother lost in grief over the death of a newborn infant, and a preteen girl intrigued by a secretive neighbor who may have a dangerous past. The characters are compelling and the plot is well constructed. A good read and a solid book for use in classroom discussion.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 11 year old daughter read this book and told me that it was wonderful and that I had to read it. She was right. It is a sad, sweet story set in 1963 - the year that I was born - about a 10 year old girl whose baby sister was born prematurely and died the next day. The story deals with her mother's depression and how an elderly neighbor woman helps Annie to deal with that and her own feelings of sorrow. The story is well written and beautiful, funny and sad, and hopeful. I highly recommend it.

[Gabi M · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a girl that recently lost her newborn sister. The book is mostly Annie's (the girl who lost her sister) thoughts and how she changes because of her sister's death. When Annie meets an old lady that lives in an old house on tater hill, the book accually starts getting intresting. I gave this book three stars because it wasn't the most intresting and i never got stuck to it, but the writing was good and it's hard to write the was the author did. I can't explain it. It's just really emotional and you can sense Annie's feelings through the pages.

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend this book to anyone wanting to read a quick summer read. The young girl in this book is mourning her baby sisters death. The young girl is dealing with her mother that is devastated and waisting away about her newborn daughters death. She in counters an older lady in the 'murderers house'. She then learns the women's secret and realizes she isn't really a murderer and she only killed her husband out of self defense. The characters are very believable and plot is relatively believable. I would recommend this book to all ages. It is a good quick read that is hard to put down.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quiet story about grief and growing up in the summer of '63. Some great characters, great setting, mentions of great books with just enough sixties touches to ground it pretty well. Here's hoping Maggie can handle what comes in November.

(And yes, I did totally compare this to Mad Men characters, situations and parenting. *g* Their attempts to shield Annie were frustrating, but echoes what I've watched this season.)

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little story about a young girl whose dad is stationed overseas and whose mom has just lost her baby. Annie and her mom are staying with her grandparents, as everyone comes to grips with the loss of the baby. The little gem in this story is the friendship that grows between Annie and Eliza McGee, the mysterious mountain woman living in an abandoned house that everyone says belonged to a murdere. Good Read.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annie's little sister dies a day after birth and Annie spends the summer missing this baby sister, Mary Kate. Annie's mother cannot get past the baby's death and circles inside her own grief, forgetting she has a living daughter. Annie's dad is stationed across the ocean while she and her mother stay with her grandparents in the Appalachian hills of North Carolina. Annie meets a mountain women, Eliza McGhee who helps her come to understand her mother's depression.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book for the NCSLMA BOB 2014-2015 competition. This book is similar to The Witch of Blackbird Pond. A girl that doesn't quite fit in with her family finds an unlikely friend in an outcast woman. While the book was easy and quick to read, it isn't one that I would be able to recommend to many. I plan to "sell" it as a companion to The Witch of Blackbird Pond for teachers to use as part of the Common Core where they must compare and contrast 2 texts.

[Melody Loomis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story about how a family recovers from the aftermath of losing a baby. The mother is depressed, the grandparents are concerned, and the daughter feels left out and alone. But she finds a way to work through her grief with her “rock baby” and her friendship with the lady she meets in the woods. I liked the main character and her friendship with Miss Eliza. Overall very good book and everyone’s emotional response seemed realistic to me.

[Nance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Annie is a character struggling with grief and loneliness after her one day old sister dies. The book is well written; but I found the plot a little slow moving. The father is away for the military and the mother is lost in herself. The grandparents try to help but are not able. She befriends a neighbor who was once imprisoned for murder.

[Rory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not very remarkable one way or the other, but solid and a realistic portrayal of a family suffering from the loss of a baby. Still...how many kids want to read about that, if there's not much else going on? It irked me that the setting was convincingly rural, but not at all convincingly 1960s.

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Annabel and her family are devastated when her baby sister lives only a day. Her mother especially becomes withdrawn, ignoring Annabel. Annabel seeks refuge in the woods, finds a stranger walking thru and tracks her to the abandon house. When Annie befriends Eliza McGee, she finally finds comfort and strength. Good read

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is definitely not for every child, but it is so well-written and very moving that I'm sure there are some for whom it will make a major impact. It would also be very interesting for discussion between tweens and adults about injustice (Miss Eliza) or about our need to discuss feelings or about how much things have changed in the last 50 years.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet story and is set in NC. I was pleasantly surprised reading it because I thought it would be a sad story and a little boring. Instead, although it had sad parts, but the message of the story was actually uplifting, and the story was well-written so there were not any extraneous details or "boring" spots.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story of a family's struggle through grief and heartache. Annabelle is strong, honest and resilient. The story is a simple one while detailing of the complexities of grief and the delicacy of relationships in the face of tragedy. Grace, understanding, redemption and forgiveness are woven throughout. Well done!

[Dolores · Rating 4 out of 5]

For more mature juvenile readers, this book has a lot of appeal. Annie is a character who is easy to like and relate to, and her situation tugs at your heartstrings. But even at its bleakest, there is still plenty of hope to go around in this warm and loving book. A tribute to families-the ones we are born with, and the ones we create.

[Janell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful, easy read that transports the reader back to a summer in 1963 through the eyes of a young girl dealing with a sudden death in the family, a mysterious old woman in a vacant house, and feelings for her friend, Bobby. A book for all ages - adults as well as pre-teen readers.