Scattergood

Gr 4-7–It’s 1941, and 12-year-old Iowa farm girl Peggy holds a terrible secret: her cousin and best friend, Delia, has terminal leukemia, and Delia isn’t allowed to know. The adults in their lives don’t want Delia to spend her last few months of life worrying about death. Rational and hardworking, Peggy endeavors to find a cure for Delia, from researching at the public library to reciting nightly prayers. Meanwhile, the war in Europe feels closer to home as the Quaker residents in town reopen Scattergood School to serve as a hostel for refugees fleeing Nazi persecution. Peggy’s curiosity takes her to Scattergood. She winds up befriending some residents, including the Professor, a Dutch chess enthusiast, and Gunther, a handsome German teenager. As Delia grows weaker, Peggy must learn how to continue living in spite of her grief and to support those around her dealing with their own losses. The descriptions of Peggy’s life on the farm are seamlessly woven into the narrative, anchoring it to the rural Midwestern setting. The tone is somber overall, peppered liberally with Peggy’s wry observations. There are a few melodramatic scenes, including an injury with an axe and an alcohol-induced car accident. Secondary characters are fully developed and are not reduced to moral lessons. Through Peggy’s strong support system, Bouwman depicts small town life at its best. Characters are assumed white; the residents of Scattergood read as Jewish. An author’s note concludes.