Anne-ish

Finished Mable Riley: A Reliable Record of Humdrum, Peril, and Romance by Marthe Jocelyn yesterday. It was so nice to read a book in a day again. In 1901, Mable (14) moves to Sellerton, Ontario with her sister Viola (19), who will be the new teacher in town. They are boarding at the Goodhand family farm, consisting of Mr & Mrs as well as son Alfred, who is twenty years old. Mable tells her story by way of journal and a few letters received from her mother (written to both daughters) and her friend Hattie. Mable fancies herself a bit of a writer and creates this drama starring Helena who is first running off with the Scoundrel James, and then is abducted by Train Bandits, while her jealous older sister Myrtle tries to worm her way into their father's favor. Mable has a great imagination. She befriends Alfred's cousin Elizabeth, even though the two continue to battle as Spelling Bee team captains (Mable of the Cheerful Commas and Elizabeth of the Happy Hyphens). When I first began reading, Mable reminded me much of Anne Shirley, but as I continued in the book, with Mable meeting Mrs Rattle (who wears bloomers! Scandalous!) and getting involved (however peripherally) in Mrs. Rattle's suffragist movement and fight for fair working conditions at the area cheese factory, Mable began to question why Viola was only going to teach until she got married, why couldn't Viola teach as a married woman, why Mr Goodhand seems to think women are good only for work in the kitchen and the farm, why reading would be a 'waste of time' for women, and why, during the protest held by the women workers at the cheese factory would the owner not discuss terms with Mrs Rattle but when the male farmers approached him, the owner was willing to discuss (and change!) working conditions. Mable is torn between what is expected of her (to find a way to make money to help her mother until she is married) and speaking her spirited, opinionated mind (which gets her into trouble more than once). She's not all thought and philosophy, however, and does have fun with her classmates and friends. Definitely a fun, quick read for probably 4-5th graders, and recommended.
In other news, I've discovered that the final Princess Diaries book, Forever Princess, will be published in January of 2009. I can hardly wait! It's only six months, it's only six months ....
About to begin Rumors today, the second Luxe novel by Anna Godbersen. A few friends have already read it and I'm definitely looking forward to that one.
In between reads I remain, impatiently, your Savage Librarian.