Book Review: More Than Grit - Highly Recommend

Let's imagine my husband had to identify one complaint about me (ha, only one?). It might be my propensity to seek bargains. I will admit, sometimes the bargain, once chased, ends up being less than a bargain (i.e., a pair of running shoes I purchased for $5 and then ended up donating because they hurt my feet). Sometimes, in pursuing the bargain, I waste time and money. But occasionally, I end up thanking God for the deal. (Some previous gems: our new-in-box treadmill, a solid wood lyre end table, my alto horn, the bench and end table in my book nook, and the book-themed desk and file cabinet.)

However, none of those finds netted the even greater find, a friend. Lately, I've been searching for a small table or cabinet to hold a sewing machine. After my mother-in-law's passing, her machine went to my niece and my niece offered me her old machine. So, there I was perusing Facebook Marketplace, when I saw an adorable Old Curiosity Shop knick-knack. I had just completed Great Expectations and was feeling my old author love spring anew. God turned this little transaction into a marvelous connection. It turned out the seller had just published her first book, like me. Eager to help a fellow author, I purchased her book More Than Grit.

If this is her debut effort, Gretchen Carlson can only have a bright future ahead. Billed as a middle-grade historical novel, with extended appeal to history-keen young adults and adults, More Than Grit tells a multi-layered story of belligerent bullies, fast friendship, and troubled times. It is 1939 in a rural Kansas town. Farmers and townspeople alike are abuzz with news of electricity. But times are tough and they require a $5 deposit in order to extend the resource. Twelve-year-old Sissy Grumme can tell her parents may struggle to secure the sum. She devises a plan that may place herself and others in danger.

I loved the way this story weaves in and out with a narrow and wide lens. On the one hand, you have Sissy's problem with a small-town bully. On the other, you have a much bigger bully, Hitler. Prejudices emerge on local and international scales. Sissy learns and grows through her encounters with a war-scarred recluse and her friendship with a gypsy girl. She struggles to balance duty and desire and learns that scarred, scared people can change. What a testament to the power of story! The reason our individual stories matter is that they play out in bigger arenas with universal appeal. What touches a person also touches a nation, which also touches an international sphere.

Gretchen's author website provides additional resources (discussion questions/activities arranged by chapter). This book would make an outstanding read-aloud, with a journal question or activity assigned for each read-aloud session. Each question/activity gives readers a chance to interact with the history and quotations from historical figures. They also encourage personal connections. Homeschooling families and mother-daughter book clubs will appreciate the many discussions the book prompts. Keep your eyes open for more, because I'm convinced that Gretchen Carlson has a significant gift for historical fiction. 

She also addresses my personal pet-peeve (mentioned here and here), by producing a book that is faith-affirming without hammering the message like an anvil over the heads of readers. She gets it right. Faith shines through on the strength of the story. Everyone can agree. We all face troubled times that will require more than grit.