I've known it since last night:
It's been too long to expect them to return.
Something's happened.
"If May is a brave, stubborn fighter, the short, free-verse lines are one-two punches in this Laura Ingalls Wilder-inspired ode to the human spirit," raved Kirkus Reviews in a starred review.
May is helping out on a neighbor's Kansas prairie homestead—just until Christmas, says Pa. She wants to contribute, but it's hard to be separated from her family by 15 long, unfamiliar miles. Then the unthinkable happens: May is abandoned. Trapped in a tiny snow-covered sod house, isolated from family and neighbors, May must prepare for the oncoming winter. While fighting to survive, May's memories of her struggles with reading at school come back to haunt her. But she's determined to find her way home again. Caroline Starr Rose's fast-paced novel, written in beautiful and riveting verse, gives readers a strong new heroine to love.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful.
Great story, great voice. Easy to give 5 stars
By Maggie Knapp
Beautifully written novel in verse about a young woman living in Kansas as the area was being settled. She works hard when she is able to attend school, and is disappointed to leave her books behind when she must move in with another family to help out. The adventure becomes very exciting, and May finds her resources tested as winter approaches. Great for fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Kirby Larson's HATTIE BIG SKY. The book is suitable for 'tween readers, but the writing has subtlety and depth that teens (such as readers of Jame Richards' THREE RIVERS RISING) will appreciate. A fast read with evocative language and a terrific story.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful.beautiful writing
By springfield, va
I just finished May B and loved it. The writing is vivid and beautiful. It captures the severe and sometimes terrible beauty of the Kansas prairies but also beautifully portrays a girl struggling to embrace who she is. My ten year old daughter is now reading it and loving it, too. She is intrigued by the verse in which it is written, especially since her class is currently studying poetry. I'll be buying more copies for gifts!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.Absolute delight!
By Tandy Wood
May B was an absolute delight!! I picked it up to read the first few pages and literally did not put it down again until I was finished. I loved the sparse, eloquent, and perfectly-pitched verse as well as the precisely defined characters. And, of course, I ached for, laughed with, and cheered for May B as she endured the challenges of surviving in the harshness of a prairie Kansas winter.Although this is a middle-grade young adult novel, I have been enthusiastically recommending it to any age reader friends who appreciate a good story and great writing. My pre-teen grandchildren will also be the recipients of their own copies of this extraordinary first novel. Hopefully, there will be more stories ahead from this fine writer.
