Author: Nancy J. Cavanaugh
Genre: historical fiction
Similar books: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelley
Gentle's Holler by Kerry Madden
Rating:
 |
| good, not great |
Summary (provided by publisher): Elsie Mae has long treasured summers with her grandparents in the Okefenokee Swamp, so she is devastated to hear that a shipping company plans to build a canal right through it. What will that mean for the people and animals that call the swamp home?
So she writes a letter directly to President Franklin Roosevelt himself and sets off to enjoy what may be her last happy summer there with her new dog, Huck. But when she arrives, she discovers a team of hog bandits who have been stealing from the swamper families.
When her cousin Henry James, who dreams of one day becoming a traveling preacher like his daddy, shows up, Elsie doesn’t think things could get worse. But she devises a plan to use Henry and his “Hallelujahs” to help stop the thieves—and maybe just make enough noise to gain Roosevelt’s attention…
My opinion: Elsie is a pretty standard example of the rough and tumble heroine, girls who would rather wander in nature and play with animals than be "proper" and "lady-like". This novel would sit nicely in a display with The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate or even To Kill a Mockingbird though it is somewhat less charming. All of the plot threads try to interweave into a cohesive fabric but instead become tangled up and confused. Each plot is a bit thin on supporing details. It's a decent way to explore a lesser known bit of history. Additionally, it's a quick and relatively engaging read with a spunky heroine.
More information: Elsie Mae Has Something to Say releases September 5.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
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