A page turner! I picked this up because I had started a book that I couldn't finish. It wasn't the book's fault; I think I'm just currently in a place where the action and events of a juvenile book are easier to focus on than anything that is too dense. This was right up my alley and it kept my interest!
Ellie's family moves from town to a cabin on a mountain after The Great Depression upends their lives. When Ellie's father is terribly injured in an accident that she witnessed, Ellie feels that her family hold her somewhat at fault for causing the accident. As her father's condition does not change, she begins to search for ways to cure him by using the resources of the natural world and by befriending some of the people who have always lived on the mountain and are not sure they want to welcome newcomers.
There was a lot of action in this book as well as things a young reader would find alluring: a puppy born to the family dog who Ellie hopes to keep as her own pet, a mysterious "hag" living in a remote cabin further up the mountain, beautiful wood carvings left as gifts by someone Ellie never sees, and so on. The writing and the characters are beautifully done and the descriptions of life on the mountain and the wildlife that share space with the people were great. This book would be a great choice for any young reader.
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