REVIEW:

Do you ever read a book that has such an impact on you and you know it will stay with you forever? I have to say that A Tiny Piece of Blue by Charlotte Whitney is one of those books for me. This book wormed its way into my heart and will be there for years to come. It was heartwarming, infuriating, uncomfortable at times and sad enough to make me cry and happy enough to make me laugh. This book has all the emotions!

The main character is a young girl thirteen years of age named Silstice. She comes from a family of six kids. There is a tragedy that hits the family and the father takes off. The mother finds a home for herself and four of the kids. She leaves Silstice and her older sister Alberta to fend for themselves. We meet Vernon and Edna Goetz who own a farm and are 4-H leaders. Vernon is something else. He made me so mad and then I loved him by the end of the book. Just like any good book you have characters you like and some you despise. 

The book takes place in a small town in Calhoun County in Michigan. The year is 1934 during the Great Depression. I love small towns and this just happens to be in my home state. I love that it took place during the depression because I learned a bit about that time period. I’m glad I didn’t live then as many folks in the country didn’t have modern conveniences. I kind of like an indoor bathroom, lights and forced air heat. 

The combination of the characters, the state and the time period all drew me in. I sat glued to my chair reading this book all day! There was a lot going on. Did you know there was trafficking of children back then? I didn’t. What parent today could let their 13 year old child fend for themselves and move to another state? I couldn’t! 

If you’re looking for a good clean story, one that will draw you in, keep your interest and pull out all the feels, then A Tiny Piece of Blue by Charlotte Whitney should go directly on top of your TBR on your nightstand. This is a must read and one you don’t want to miss. I would give this one ten stars if I could. I can’t recommend it highly enough. 

Until next time…Happy Reading!

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and Caitlin Hamilton Marketing & Publicity, LLC. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

SYNOPSIS:

For fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Four Winds and Lisa Wingate’s Shelterwood comes a heartwarming historical novel following a homeless young girl as she struggles to survive during the Great Depression.

Rural Michigan, 1934. During the throes of the Great Depression, thirteen-year-old Silstice Trayson finds herself homeless, abandoned by her parents after a devastating house fire. Nearby, aging midwestern farmers Edna and Vernon Goetz are pillars of the community, but when do-gooder Edna takes up Silstice’s cause, Vernon digs in his heels, displaying his true nature as an ornery curmudgeon.

Theirs is a quiet-seeming community, but danger lurks beneath the bucolic façade. With so many youngsters leaving home to make it on their own, child trafficking has grown rampant, and Silstice and her two spirited young brothers soon find themselves in the sights of a ring of kidnappers that’s exploiting local children into forced labor—and worse. Meanwhile Vernon finds himself at risk of losing everything.

Narrated by Silstice, Vernon, and Edna, A Tiny Piece of Blue sets the customs and traditions of rural Michigan against a backdrop of thievery, bribery, and child-trafficking—weaving a suspenseful yet tender tale that ultimately winds its way to a heartwarming conclusion.

About the Author:

Award-winning author Charlotte Whitney writes historical fiction set in the rural Midwest during the Great Depression. A Tiny Piece of Blue is scheduled to come out in February, 2025. The Unveiling of Polly Forrest (2022) a stand-alone historical mystery received much critical acclaim as did her groundbreaking novel, Threads A Depression Era Tale. In addition, she has authored I Dream in White, a contemporary romance, and How to Win at Upwards, a nonfiction book about her favorite word game.

She received a master’s degree in English at the University of Michigan and after teaching at two community colleges worked at the Lloyd Scholars for Writing and the Arts Program at the University of Michigan. An avid reader, she loves libraries and book clubs. Currently living in Arizona with her husband and two dogs, she enjoys hiking, bicycling, swimming, and yoga.

Eight things you may not know about Charlotte:

1. She worked as a waitress in two different restaurants, plus had a few secretarial jobs along the way.

2. She and her husband slept in an empty truck bed in Antwerp, Belgium while hitchhiking through Europe.

3. Her third son was born unexpectedly when they were visiting relatives in Chicago.

4. Her favorite meal ia an Indonesian Rijsttafel (rice table)–easily found in Amsterdam but not too many other places.

5. Here favorite travel sites: Petra in Jordan; the Alhambra in Spain; the Grand Canyon in Arizona; Mackinac Island in Michigan.

6. Her favorite road: Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park.

7. She’s an exercise nut and loves yoga.

8. She has a chocolate Labrador retriever named Athena.