ALA Booklist (Mon Oct 07 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Norvia grew up on Beaver Island, picking berries, listening to her grand-père's stories of their Ojibwe ancestors, and finding comfort in the stars up above. Now, at 14, in Boyne City, Michigan, Norvia's mother is remarrying. Norvia and her siblings know there will be difficult changes, but they are shocked that they must begin hiding their Native ancestry. As Norvia starts high school, she is heartbroken to realize that people are gossiping about her mother's divorce and their heritage. Norvia and her siblings find comfort and hope in their new family, though, and courage and friendship while navigating first experiences of high school. This beautiful historical novel, based on the author's family, contains flashbacks to the family's time at Beaver Island, providing insight into the traditions and time Norvia enjoyed, along with a glimpse into why her parents separated. A glossary, pronunciation guide, and family photographs add depth. A heartfelt novel about embracing one's identity, appreciating what the past has taught, and finding the courage to move forward.

Horn Book (Mon Oct 07 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

In her debut novel, Johnson (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians) combines family history with an homage to such classics as Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, and Pollyanna, offering up her protagonist's memorable perspective on life in the early twentieth century. When their divorced mother remarries, young Ojibwe teen Norvia and her siblings are uprooted from their home on Beaver Island in Lake Michigan to Boyne City, Michigan. Not only does that mean adjusting to life with a new stepfather and stepbrother, but she and her siblings have been warned by their mother not to disclose that they are Ojibwe. Norvia had loved learning about her family's history and traditions from her grandparents; denying that part of her heritage feels wrong. She finds comfort in reading and longs to be a heroine like the girls in her favorite novels; she uses the stories from her grandfather, caring advice from her new stepfather, and the books she reads, along with her faith in God and the Bible, to become the heroine she wants to be. An author's note details Johnson's research process; a glossary, pronunciation guide, and family photos provide additional context for this engaging work of historical fiction.

Kirkus Reviews (Mon Oct 07 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

A teen girl in early-20th-century Michigan faces loss and change.Fourteen-year-old Norvia Nelson's maternal grandfather, Grand-père, shared stories from their family's Ojibwe culture and history before his death. But now, everything has changed. Norvia's parents have divorced, and her French and Indian mother is rushing into a new marriage with a White man she barely knows. Worse still, she has asked Norvia and her siblings not to share the Native part of their background with their new stepfamily (the children's father is a Swedish immigrant). Norvia takes inspiration from the heroines in her favorite novels: Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, and What Katy Did, among others. She is determined to become popular at her new high school and hopes to maybe even find a beau. Norvia struggles to navigate new relationships under the shadow of her parents' divorce, which is the talk of the town. She is also torn between her love for her Native heritage and a desire to assimilate into her new life. Norvia proves to be a resilient and inspiring main character. Inspired by the author's family history, this gentle novel nimbly and tenderly confronts topics including prejudice, the challenge of blending families, young love, and staying true to oneself.A coming-of-age story with a kind heart and strong spirit. (author's note, glossary and pronunciation guides, family photos) (Historical fiction. 8-13)

Publishers Weekly (Mon Oct 07 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Johnson uses her own great-grandmother’s story as a foundation to deliver an intimate tale chronicling an Indigenous 14-year-old’s life in a new city, set in 1914 on the brink of WWI. Following Norvia Nelson’s parents’ divorce and her mother’s whirlwind nuptials to a white man they hardly know, Norvia’s mother, who is French and Ojibwe, asks her and her siblings to hide their Indigenous heritage from their new stepfamily. The Nelsons soon move from Beaver Island on Lake Michigan to Boyne City, where Norvia longs for her old life listening to her late Grand-père tell stories about their ancestors. Struggling between embracing her heritage and attempting to fit in at her new high school, Norvia channels heroines from her favorite novels, including Anne of Green Gables and Little Women, to navigate shifting family dynamics, community gossip over her parents’ divorce, prejudice, and first love. This introspective, unhurried debut, filled with personal touches from the author’s ancestry as detailed in an author’s note, is populated by memorable characters, such as Norvia’s larger-than-life younger sister. Johnson’s family photographs and an Ojibwe glossary conclude. Ages 8–12. Agent: Jessica Schmeidler, Golden Wheat Literary. (July)

School Library Journal (Mon Oct 07 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Gr 5–8 —Inspired by the author's family, this historical fiction novel centers 14-year-old Norvia Nelson, a bookish teen in the early 20th century who dreams of being a heroine in her quiet life in Northern Michigan as she adapts to divorce, blending and changing families, and racism. Ojibwe and French Canadian on her mother's side, Norvia is accustomed to the hateful words her father often had for her heritage. When her mother remarries in 1914, she asks her five children to hide this part of their identity from their stepfather. The story focuses primarily on the interpersonal relationships of Norvia and her newly expanded family, though crushes and changing friendships also play a significant role in this book. Bible verses are peppered throughout, and Christianity is a strong focus throughout the story. The author notes she was heavily influenced by Anne of Green Gables , Little Women , and Pollyanna , evident in the vocabulary and drowsy pace, befitting the era. A glossary of Anishinaabemowin and French terms and black-and-white family photographs are included in the back matter. VERDICT Recommended for purchase only where there is high demand for historical fiction, and where classics circulate well.—Monisha Blair