Hattie Big Sky, written by Kirby Larson, describes the life of a sixteen-year-old girl named Hattie in the early 1900s. gives the reader a deeper insight into Hattie's life as an orphan and life as an orphan during this time period in general. Furthermore, the story goes that with determination, anyone can create the future they most desire. Although the beginning of the story was quite depressing, Hattie's positive and courageous attitude created an uplifting, proud and inspiring mood. Hattie spent much of her youth living with different parents because both of her parents had died when she was five. As Hattie was "tossed" from home from one parent to another throughout her childhood, she never had a sense of belonging. To make matters worse, those close to her treated her like a nuisance, as if her very existence was a nuisance. Needless to say, those close to Hattie were not supportive or encouraging. At the age of 16, Hattie's self-esteem was at an all-time low. The story did not describe her appearance in depth, but it did say that she was very modest and humbly dressed. When the story began, Hattie was living with her Uncle Holt and Aunt Ivy in Arlington, Iowa. Even though Hattie would finish school that year, her Aunt Ivy insisted that she be sent to boarding school. Aunt Ivy felt that having to take care of Hattie was a burden and wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible. Before Aunt Ivy had the chance to send Hattie to boarding school, Hattie received a letter stating that her Uncle Chester had passed. far. He also said she stands to inherit his 320-acre property in Montana if she meets the remaining ownership requirements in order to keep it. The farm requires... middle of paper ... books with a theme as relevant as this. Similar to Brent from Whirligig, Hattie learned that material objects are not all a person needs to have a fulfilling and prosperous life. life. Rather, she and Brent discovered through different means that supportive, loving, forgiving relationships are what make life worthwhile. It's fortunate that these two characters learned this lesson at a young age, as their newfound maturity would help them become successful adults who valued strong relationships. I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys historical fiction books where characters learn about life. modify the lessons. I also think people of all ages would enjoy this book because its messages and theme were very positive. Although I enjoyed this book, I think I won't read another historical fiction novel for my next book response..