About This Book
Reach for this book when your family is navigating a period of financial instability, a crowded move, or the stress of living in close quarters with extended relatives. Mary Downing Hahn explores the heavy toll of unemployment and the loss of privacy through the eyes of twelve-year-old Kathleen. As her family moves into her aunt's small cottage on the Maryland shore, the story captures the friction of shared spaces and the quiet shame of economic hardship. It is a realistic and deeply empathetic look at how external pressures can strain internal family bonds, making it a perfect choice for middle grade readers who feel the weight of adult problems. Parents will appreciate how it validates a child's frustration while modeling resilience through difficult transitions.
