More like a 3.5 star. Engaging story based upon a true story of a daughter and mother who walk from Spokane to NYC in order to save their family farm. I can see teen girls who love historical fiction snapping this up and asking for more.I am not a huge historical fiction reader but I enjoyed the tone and pace of the story and 'heard' the story through the lens of the 1890s. Suffragettes, Indians, surviving the elements and vagrants; this is an adventuresome tale that even adult HF fans will enjoy. I especially liked how Dagg touched on depression and its affect on families. In 1896, the Estbys' homestead in Spokane, WA, is in threat of foreclosure. On a whim, Helga Estby makes a bet with a publisher in New York City that she and her daughter Clara will walk across the country in seven months' time so that they can save their farm.Set against the backdrop of the burgeoning American West and the suffragist movement, this YA novel is seen through Clara Estby's eyes. She recounts their difficulties in traversing the country. The details of clothing, useful items, and the settings they cross are wonderful to read. There is humor and tenderness, and I really enjoyed seeing Helga and Clara's relationship pan out over the course of the book.I would definitely recommend this story for a younger audience--probably closer to 6th grade than high school, as far as "YA" goes.
What do You think about The Year We Were Famous (2011)?
Very enjoyable but kind of boring. And I was disappointed by the ending, it didn't finish up well.
—Nooney
