A Bride for Anna's Papa

After her mother's death leaves Anna with the responsibility of caring for her family and home, she and her brother plot to find their father a new wife, in a story set in turn-of-the-century Minnesota. Winner of the Milkweed Prize for Children's Literature. Simultaneous.

Grade 5-7-In 1907 in the iron-range town of Chisholm, Minnesota, 13-year-old Anna Kallio has taken over the household responsibilities since her mother's death the summer before. Caring for her nine-year-old brother, Matti, and her blacksmith father does not leave her with much time for school or play. She yearns for life as it once was and tries to arrange for a mail-order bride for her father so that she can continue her education. When Papa begins to take an interest in the widowed school teacher, however, Anna begins to have second thoughts about having a stepmother. The difficulty of mining town life is emphasized throughout as the girl's family struggles through a strike, loss of income, accidents, and a frightening episode in which Matti playfully explores a dangerous mine shaft. Anna's advanced maturity, brought on by her familial obligations, is offset by her wavering, insecure reactions concerning a new mother. A fire brings on the concluding climax, in which Marvin creates the right emotional atmosphere for Anna's acceptance of her Papa's remarriage. Well-developed characters and a plot with enough suspense and drama will hold readers' attention throughout.
Rita Soltan, Baldwin Public Library, Birmingham, MI
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The plot of this novel, set in Minnesota in 1907-1908, will surely invite comparisons with Sarah, Plain and Tall. After the death of her mother, 12-year-old Anna Kallio is forced to leave school in order to keep house for her father, a blacksmith, and her younger brother. The family's hardships multiply with a miners' strike and the fear that Papa will not be able to find work. Frustrated by her domestic responsibilities, Anna conspires with her brother to find a wife for their father so that Anna can return to school. Though their initiative fails, Papa ultimately does find a mate in Anna's teacher, a kindly woman who is sensitive to Anna's sudden doubts about relinquishing her responsibilities to someone new. The story spirals along from crisis to crisis, with Anna's brother narrowly escaping death when he explores a dangerous mine and, in the final chapter, the newly formed family losing their home to a fire. Of special interest is Marvin's exploration of the Kallios' Finnish heritage: she describes holidays and customs like the family sauna, etc. Though the writing lacks a certain fluidity, the drama will certainly capture the reader's attention while providing a fairly accurate picture of the period. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.