Mae Sparks is an Appalachian mountain girl growing up in the first half of the 20th century, and she longs for one true friend. The story is told through a series of letters she writes to her cousin Caroline, who lives in Raleigh, and whom she has never met. Mae is distraught that Caroline never writes back, but refuses to give up on her cousin.
A group of educators has set up a school in the mountains, planning both to teach the mountain children, but also to learn and study traditional Appalachian crafts, music and culture. Mae believes she has found her true friend in the son of one of the teachers, a boy with a limp.
Well written and engaging, and Mae is quite a likable character, but the storyline felt a little weak at the end, like something was missing. ( )

I did not want this book to end! I would most surely want Ari Mae Sparks to be my friend. Frances Dowell truly captures the spirit and voice of this young girl. You find yourself wishing that she would write you a letter so that you could hear more stories about her life and her family.

As a young girl one of my favorite books was Christy by Catherine Marshall and this book evokes the memories of losing myself to that story as well. It brought me right back to that time and place.

I literally don't want to put the book away. I keep wishing that I could open it up and find that I somehow had one more chapter to go. ( )

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