The Springsweet

Gr 7 Up—In this companion to The Vespertine (Houghton Harcourt, 2011), 17-year-old Zora Stewart grieves the loss of her beloved and is sent to live with her widowed Aunt Birdie on her homestead in West Glory, OK. After being robbed en route, she meets Emerson Birch, who offers her a place to stay for the night. Mitchell communicates the harshness of the plains through Zora's reaction to her new life, particularly the food and the shortage of water, and to living in the frontier town. While gathering water for the family, Zora realizes that she has a gift for finding good water, and Aunt Birdie hires her out to settlers seeking spots to dig their wells. Readers will sympathize with Zora as she clings to memories of her betrothed and has growing feelings for Emerson, a man with his own magical gift who is seen as a land thief by the townspeople. Zora's romantic life is further complicated by a wealthy man, Theo de la Croix, who follows her from Baltimore to Oklahoma. Mitchell incorporates the magical elements of the novel believably, and the climactic scene when Zora is struck by lightning is compelling. The story has an evenly paced plot, but isn't much more than a light romance novel.—Hilary Writt, Sullivan University, Lexington, KY