Carla Stewart

A tale about child facing a horrible family situation. Sammie has dreams of becoming a writer. But her life is upended when her Mother's "nerve problems" take a huge turn for the worst. Sammie now has to navigate life without her mother, and she has a host of people in her life who may or may not be a help to her. There's the new kid from California, her best friend since grade school, and the neighbors who may or may not have her best interests at heart.
This was an interesting read, however there was a lot going on with all of the characters. A little too much focus on all of the drama and more on the inner workings of Sammie and her friends would have been nice.… (més)

This book is an enjoyable read, hard to put down. I enjoyed learning about about the era of the 1920s, and the use of the period language sprinkled throughout.

Nell is such an endearing character. I can empathize with her stuttering, since my youngest has such a difficulty himself.

When Nell was asked why she found such pleasure in designing hats, she pointed out that all women have inner beauty, and that it was pure bliss to see the transformation when someone "gets a glimpse in the mirror in one of my hats and feels beautiful." "It's not about my happiness, but other women discovering their own inner beauty and carrying themselves with poise."

A great beach read!… (més)