In Plain Sight - Hardcover

Hurst, Carol Otis

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0618196994 ISBN 13: 9780618196999

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers, 2002

Synopsis

When Sarah’s father leaves their Massachusetts farm to prospect for gold in California, even his stories of riches and adventure can’t console her. In his absence, Sarah chafes against her mother’s cold demeanor and strict discipline, and at times it doesn’t seem like anyone misses her fun-loving father the way she does. But she must put her feelings aside and work hard to help keep the farm running. From a scraped knee to a barn fire, Sarah faces each challenge, each crisis, with courage, determination, and good sense. Through her ordeals, Sarah comes to appreciate her mother’s strength and perseverance and recognize the price the family has had to pay for her father’s follies.

About this title

About the Author:

Carol Otis Hurst has authored several novels for young adults, including Through the Lock, In Plain Sight, and A Killing in Plymouth Colony, in addition to her many professional books for teachers and librarians. A former teacher and librarian herself, Carol Otis Hurst is the columnist for Teaching K8 Magazine and conducts workshops on storytelling and children's literature around the country. She is the mother of two daughters and grandmother of two grandsons. She lives in Westfield, Massachusetts.

From School Library Journal:

Grades 4-7--Talk of gold is all around as Sarah's father prepares to depart from Massachusetts for the hills of California, leaving three children and their mother to face the reality of crops, loans, and making ends meet. Letters from California are few and far between and the fate of her father is crucial to Sarah, who has to accept more responsibility. Longing for approval and warmth from her mother, she struggles to run the household and take care of her siblings. When a fire breaks out in the barn and she is severely burned rescuing the animals and her brother, the whole family moves to her wealthy grandfather's house in town. Hurst manages to keep sight of the child's perspective and longings while gradually uncovering the adult issues in the situation. The mother's desire to be independent and the father's reckless spirit are gradually explored. Sarah discovers the love of her mother in the daily attention and care so necessary after her injury. The girl's growth is so natural and gradual that the other characters' development seems equally realistic, giving the book surprising depth. This is a quiet story full of historical details and with a core of emotional truth. An antidote to gold fever.
Carol A. Edwards, Sonoma County Library, Santa Rosa, CA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0618196994
• ISBN 13: 9780618196999
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 160