May Amelia is the only girl in her family with six brothers and a live in cousin. For that matter she is the only girl in Nasel, where she and her Finnish family live. Naturally May Amelia want the baby in her mama's stomach to be a girl. When her sister Amy Alice is born tragedy strikes and May Amelia feels it is all her fault. After spending some time in the city with her aunt and uncle, May realizes she needs to go back to her family.
I completely understand why this book won a Newberry Honor. The story feels like it transcends time. I really felt like I knew how May Amelia and I commiserated with her losses and celebrated her successes. This story does a great job of showing all the historically relevant challenges of the time, the social classes, the immigration and assimilation of cultures. I also loved the way she dealt with family and finding your place in a family.