This is a good choice for readers who want to know more about the Great Depression. Informative cute story with lots of depth

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Hurricane and her sister Bronte have been living by themselves ever since the death of their father during World War I, and their mother's death from tuberculosis in 1930. When Bronte is also diagnosed with this difficult disease, she is also sent to a sanitarium, and Hurricane is whisked away from her coastal home and her dog, Brody Bear, to live in the city with her great Aunt Claire and her chauffeur and cook, Mr. Keats. Aunt Claire grew up in the same community that Hurricane is from, but once she married Mr. Butterfield (who died shortly after they were married), she worked very hard to learn how to exist in cultured society. She is worried about Hurricane's brash manner, as well as her insistence in wearing overalls and worn out boots. Mr. Keats is much more understanding, bringing her delicious baked goods instead of the beef boullion with pepper and horseradish that Aunt Claire recommends for her cold. Aunt Claire is determined to do right by Hurricane, and even attends a Mother's Club. Mr. Keats suggests that perhaps schooling can wait for the moment, and spends some quality time getting to know Hurricane. The two even have plans to entice a stray cat, whom they name MoonPie, into the house, even though Aunt Claire does not approve of pets. Aunt Claire has her soft spots, although they take a while to surface. She wants to provided Hurricane with "proper" clothes, so has a seamstress in, but when they woman turns up her nose at making slacks for Hurricane, Aunt Claire remembers how much she hated being fitted for clothes, and sends the woman away. She doesn't care for a boy who sells fish door to door, accompanied by a dog and an injured sea gull, but eventually agrees to his presence as he helps with the cat. When Hurricane is angry that she has not gotten information about Bronte's recuperation, Aunt Claire calls the hospital and demands updates. The three housemates do the housework together, since the Great Depression has impacted even the Butterfields' wealth; Aunt Claire is allowed to live in the house as long as she is alive, but even selling the silver and other household items does not allow for an adequate budget. Eventually, Mr. Keats has to introduce a vast quantity of turnips into the household diet, although there seems to be enough money for luxurious ingredients like pineapple and coconut! Eventually, Aunt Claire decides that the best plan is to head back to Hurricane's house on the coast so that the girl can return to running wild along the shore. Luckily, this move coincides with Bronte's release from the sanitarium as well as the arrival of a much more sympathetic teacher at the local school.
Strengths: Like Mrs. Scott in Elliott's Bea and the New Deal Horse, Aunt Claire is an interesting and underrepresented character in Great Depression stories; a wealthy woman who has fallen on hard times but trying to make things work. Mr. Keats is fascinating as a World War I vet with "shell shock". Hurricane is a typical tween girl who feels stifled by societal norms and is also dealing with a lot of grief. The three seem to genuinely enjoy being together, even though there are a lot of differences, and Aunt Claire eventually realizes that the way she has lived her whole life isn't necessarily making her happy. Fusco has done solid research on this era and has another books set during this time (The Wonder of Charlie Ann), so the period details are fantastic.
Weaknesses: Aunt Claire understands that during this time period, appearances were everything, but this had a layer of modern sensibility overlaid on the time period that was a bit odd. I wouldn't have wanted to squash Hurricane's spirit completely, but she should have learned how to comport herself in polite society, and even Mr. Keats should have known that and guided her in a gentler way. She probably also wouldn't have minded wearing skirts as much as portrayed; it's just want one did at the time. Neither of my grandmothers ever wore slacks.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want to know more about the Great Depression and enjoyed books like Wendell's Light and Air. This had the feel of a classic orphan tale like Fisher's Understood Betsy, Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables, or Porter's Pollyanna.

I absolutely loved this book! The story was so well written. The characters are engaging and the setting was so perfectly described! I wish the book was a series so I could look forward to traveling back to this world! A must read for the young and old!