I read this book from the “American Girls” series, and I was a little skeptical. Because I’d just read another mystery book about Kit (a robbery happens at the Cincinnati theatre where she’s helping out) and I hadn’t really liked it.
But this one was so great. First, Kit takes the train from Cincinnati to the mountains of Kentucky during the Great Depression. The story is always great if the characters are traveling by train.
Then, she’s come to visit her aunt in the mining communities. And all the sensitive subjects are so deftly discussed, embedded right into the mystery story without seeming like a lecture. It talks about the fragile plants up in the mountains; and how abusive the mining bosses could be; but also that the mines brought good paying jobs; but also that the mining jobs were dark and dangerous. And when the mines shut down during the Great Depression, that not only put everyone out of work, but because the schools were also owned by the mines, they were also dismantled.
So pretty much all sides were laid out respectfully.
And it even delved into when government relief workers arrived to give aid, how that led to misunderstandings and problems as well.
But still all very respectfully to all sides. And you know what else? The mystery was pretty good as well. Kit and her friend Fern go out in the middle of the night to try to follow someone around on the mountaintop, and I was pretty spooked myself!
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