I Am Lavina Cumming: A Novel of the American West

by Susan Lowell

Lavina Cumming has spent her entire first ten years of life on the Bosque Ranch in Arizona Territory, but when her mother dies, she must go live with her aunt in Santa Cruz, California. Armed with the Cumming family motto, “Courage,” Lavina starts off at dawn on September 16, 1905, leaving behind everything that is familiar. She arrives in a world of two-story houses, automobiles, a new school, and her cousin, “awful Aggie.” Trying her best to settle in, Lavina is as shocked as everyone else by the great earthquake that nearly demolishes the nearby city of San Francisco. In the aftermath of the quake, she must make a big decision about her future. Based on the true story of the author’s grandmother, I Am Lavina Cumming offers a compelling look at life in early twentieth-century California and a girl struggling to find her place there.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Young Adult, Juvenile, Middle Grade, Historical

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Susan Lowell often writes about the Southwest border country in both fiction and nonfiction. Her forthcoming adult short-story collection, "Two Desperados,” returns to the genre of her first book, “Ganado Red.” Her family has lived in the American West since Gold Rush days, and family stories have inspired many children’s books as well as an adult novel in progress called “The Wild West Waltz” (see the story “Two Desperados” for a preview!)
She and her husband divide their time between Tucson, Arizona and a ranch near the Mexican border.

Reviews

[Abbey Stellingwerff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once upon a time when I was a little girl, we would get I Am Lavina Cumming out of the library on cassette tapes. We would listen to this story over and over and over in the car to and from various activities...
And then CDs took over, we got a new car with no cassette player, and the library got rid of it's books on tape. I got caught up in the Warriors series by Erin Hunter, amongst other reading material... and Lavina faded from my life, though her story was always there in the back of my mind.
I found I Am Lavina Cumming online for 99 cents and ordered it up - and read it just as fast!
This book follows ten year old Lavina as her father sends her away from the ranch they live on - along with Lavina's five brothers. She is going to California to live with an aunt, who will give her an education and make her lady.
So many parts of this story have stuck in my mind all these years... Lavina's train trip all alone, the Cumming family motto "courage," the letters sent back and forth between Lavina and her father and brothers... Lavina's friends Birdie and Susan who each have their own distinct personalities, Lavina's cousin Awful Aggie... and how about all those stories? Throughout the book are stories that Lavina has carried with her - true stories that her father told her, true stories that Luz has told her, and the stories of the Arabian Nights.
And the ending: the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 and the "aftershocks."
This story encompasses everything that I love in a good story: great writing, great characters, history, stories within stories, and typical life situations.
It's amazing that so much can be fit into a 198 page book.
The books that you read or have read to you (or that you listen to on cassette tapes) as a child never really leave you. They have an impact on you. For me, one of those books is I Am Lavina Cumming. It will always be a part of my life.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not heavy with personality conflicts or historical issues, nor with didactics, but not fluff nor sweet & light either. It seems to me that the author told the story from her heart, to children... not to librarians or teachers... which makes this a special read.

It's also special because it's stories within stories, and inspired by the author's family history.

She doesn't worry about stopping to explain something that youngsters would be interested in learning, like what a leghorn hat is, for example, or what route a train would take from southern Arizona (Calabasas, actually) to Santa Cruz (Watsonville, actually). But she doesn't slow down the tale by, for example, overexplaining about why Mrs. Grover Cleveland is against women's suffrage; it's just mentioned.

And some of the writing is just lovely.

Lavina is, naturally, having trouble adjusting being in a new home, away from her family:
"When she glanced at herself in the mirror, dressed for church, she hardly knew the girl who looked back.... this girl didn't fall in the mud while catching foals by the river.... This bashful girl dressed in white never flew into a rage... Even Lavina's skin felt different--hard... always cold.... And her head felt different inside. She seemed to watch what happened from a long distance, without emotion, as though she drifted in a strange dream."

"At home in the desert, rain was always a blessing, but mostly it came down with a crash and a bang in the summertime. This slow California autumn rain made her feel sad, lonely, and trapped."

Because this author is so conscientious about telling her stories to the child reader, I'm finally learning several things myself. For example "least said, soonest mended" means that an apology should be brief & sincere, and acceptance should be even more brief, no nagging or warning.

I also learned that goose tastes like the dark meat of a chicken. No wonder Tiny Tim's family was excited to have one for Christmas!

Popular songs of the day I hope to find to listen to are Juanita, Sweet Adeline, and Come away with me Lucille, in my merry Oldsmobile."

'Coraje' in Spanish means both Courage and Anger.

I did have trouble with one bit, and I don't know if it's the author's mistake or Lavina didn't tell the author the memory accurately. Lavina packs in her travel case enough oranges for her father and brothers, but none for Luz, the local herbalist who gave Lavina the good luck charm.

Anyway, I highly recommend this historical fiction for young 'tweens (or for all ages interested, really, and it would make a good read-aloud for families); I will look for more by the author, and I will look for more by the imprint, Milkweed Editions, www.milkweed.org.

[Lotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this is a childrens book, but I find the story very touching. This little girl, who has grown up in the wild west with her father and brothers, the only girl with no female influences after her mom dies, is sent to her aunt in San Fransisco to "become a lady". She hates it. She is happy with her wild life on the ranch with her horse, her dad and her brothers.
But eventually she settles in to her new life i San Fransisco, and even though she is not a fan of her spoiled cousin, she likes living with her aunt. She gets some new friends at school, and by the end of the book she figures, that she can be both the girl from the ranch in the wild west, and the girl who gets an education and grows up to become (somewhat of) a lady in San Fransisco.
It is a really sweet story.

[Joy Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book for young readers, but sometimes I’m in the mood for something quick and simple, with an easy storyline, and likable characters. I listened to it on audiobook and enjoyed it. A young girl grew up in the desert of Arizona in the early 1900’s, but her father thought she’d do better in the city of Santa Cruz, California after her mother died. He sent her via train to his sister who took her in. The story unfolds with the adventures she has, the family and friends she meets, interspersed with memories and homesickness for Arizona. This is based on a true story and the historical pieces, including an earthquake, were interesting to hear.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast, interesting read about a 10 year old girl, living in the Arizona Territory in 1905. She lives with her widowed father and 4 brothers on a ranch south of Tucson. Her father sends her to his sister and girl cousins, in Santa Cruz, CA., in order to have some female influence in her life. At first, she was homesick, but as time went by, she acclimates. She's there in 1906 during the SF earthquake, which devastates Santa Cruz, as well. After, almost a year, she returns home, for the summer on her family ranch, with thoughts of returning back to CA to complete her education.

[Bish Denham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is what I would call a "sweet" story. It isn't action driven. Based on the life of the author's grandmother, it tells the story of Lavina leaving her home in the Arizona Territory to go live with her aunt in Santa Cruz, California. It's quite a journey for a ten year-old to make by herself in 1905.

I liked the characters and their individual personalities, even "awful Aggie."

The only thing I wish there had been more about was Lavina's experiences of the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906. That part of the story seemed to happen and be over with too quickly.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as part of a third grade book club I was leading and I thought it was quite good. It is based on the adventures of the author's grandmother, who was sent from Arizona to California for a better education in 1905. Lots of eye-opening historical facts for the kids in the group. They were horrified by the pictures of both the birds' nest hats and the Little Lord Fauntleroy suits I showed them, among other things.

[Tepintzin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susan Lowell writes a short novel based on stories she heard from her grandmother, the real Lavina Cumming. I lived in southern Arizona for a few years, and now reside in California. Lavina's homesickness felt very close to home, which gave the book special poignancy for me.

The style reads a lot like the Little House books, and might be a good one to give to someone who has devoured that series and would like something similar.

[Sophia Barsuhn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read this book since I was eleven, and I honestly enjoy it more now as an adult. It's a solid book with some pretty decent writing, although I wish we knew exactly how Lavina and her brothers knew Spanish. Was their mom Latina? Did she teach them? Did they learn in school? That would have been interesting to know.

[Ranette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book made up of stories from the author's grandmother's adventures. A 10 year old is sent to Santa Cruz, CA to go to school from her Arizona home. Not much action, but plenty of girl stuff.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An young adult read, the story begins in remote Arizona Territory but the majority of the story moves to Santa Cruz, California. While the story of Lavina’s adjustment to an entirely different culture and cast of character, not what I expected.

[Julyssakayegodina · Rating 3 out of 5]

very short and simple but great plot

[Kyoko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Indeed it is recommended for those who enjoyed Becoming Rosemary.

[Tarissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lavina (pronounced with long "i" sound) is a young girl of Scottish descent who grew up as a cowgirl in the Arizona desert speaking both English and Spanish; she's now off to California to live with her aunt to learn how to be a lady.

The summary sounded interesting and I enjoyed the first few chapters as they flew by. For the most part I enjoyed it until the Halloween chapter, then came the story of the witch who ate babies (not very amusing). I did like the rest of the book though. The author used great storytelling abilities to weave in flashbacks and family stories right into what was currently happening. The descriptions in the book tell many accurate facts of the historical time period, including the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906.

[Sydney Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of an American West girl, living in Arizona Territory, for 10 years, then moving to Santa Cruz to live her aunt to become a lady after her mom dies.
I learned about this book from my grandma, she found it and thought I might want to read it because we were learnign about it. My impression of the book at first, was that it would be boring, becausde it has to do with istory, but when I started to read it, I really enjoyed it, and I still learned a lot about the American West

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This little historical novel for kids was quite interesting. Lavina was living in Arizona with her father and five brothers in 1905. Her mother had died, and her father decided to send her to Santa Cruz to live with her aunt so she could become a lady. I learned a lot about life in 1905-1906, including about the San Francisco earthquake. And so I enjoyed the history part of it. However, I got kind of bored with all of the stories Lavina and her father told. At the end, the author tells us that Lavina was her grandmother, and that the book is based on her grandmother's life.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this 3.5 stars if I could. It's based on the author's grandmother's stories, and it's quite charming. Written for a preteen reader, it's an interesting view of life at the turn of the century in Arizona and California. Sort of has the feel of "Meet Me in St. Louis" as far as being more like vignettes of particular times rather than one continuous narrative. For that reason, it sometimes feels a little choppy or rushed. Still, a quick, easy read.

[Margit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well told story of a young girl leaving home to live in Santa Cruz with her aunt. She proves herself to be brave and skilled when the earthquake strikes in 1906 and creates chaos in her new home. She earns the respect of her unpleasant cousin and returns home a more self-aware child. The story develops at a good pace and develops Lavina's strengths subtly and at a good pace. This is a California story with a Canadian connection.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

The secrets that have been hidden from Lavina are revealed too quickly, and aren't reacted to long enough. It was like- "Oh, here's a large secret. Your mother murdered someone." And then, "Sure."
The reaction to the secret, which is not the example above, doesn't last, and hangs there, basically doing nothing.
But besides that, this book is a great example of a historical fiction novel well-written.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this book where I was volunteering today and immediately sat down to read it, because I stupidly got rid of my copy years ago! I must go buy a new one. It's even more excellent than I remembered. Fabulous historical fiction, great and realistic portrayals of the Southwest and California, and a wonderful story. I will always love this book.

[Kathi Olsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice story about strong women in the west at the beginning of the 20th century. It's listed as fiction, but I marked it as non-fiction as the story is about the author's family. Pretty easy read and would be good for younger girls to serve as an example of what they can do when the need arises.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Club book with Connor

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely story of growing up in AZ valley, then getting sent to SF to "become a lady" in early 1900s.

[Kris Rigdon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written for younger readers. Very enjoyable and insightful.