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Pine Island Home
Four sisters search for true family in this story of resilience by a Newbery Honor author.
When the McCready sisters' parents are washed away in a tsunami, their Great Aunt Martha volunteers to have them live with her on her farm in British Columbia. But while they are traveling there, Martha dies unexpectedly, forcing Fiona, the eldest, to come up with a scheme to keep social services from separating the girls - a scheme that will only work if no one knows they are living on their own.
Fiona approaches their grouchy and indifferent neighbor Al and asks if he will pretend to be their live-in legal guardian should papers need to be signed or if anyone comes snooping around. He reluctantly agrees, under the condition that they bring him dinner every night.
As weeks pass, Fiona takes on more and more adult responsibilities, while each of the younger girls finds their own special role in their atypical family - But even if things seem to be falling into place, Fiona is sure it's only a matter of time before they are caught.
Written in Polly Horvath's inimitable style, gentle humor and tough obstacles are woven throughout this story about the bonds of sisterhood and what makes a family.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
When the McCready sisters' parents are washed away in a tsunami, their Great Aunt Martha volunteers to have them live with her on her farm in British Columbia. But while they are traveling there, Martha dies unexpectedly, forcing Fiona, the eldest, to come up with a scheme to keep social services from separating the girls - a scheme that will only work if no one knows they are living on their own.
Fiona approaches their grouchy and indifferent neighbor Al and asks if he will pretend to be their live-in legal guardian should papers need to be signed or if anyone comes snooping around. He reluctantly agrees, under the condition that they bring him dinner every night.
As weeks pass, Fiona takes on more and more adult responsibilities, while each of the younger girls finds their own special role in their atypical family - But even if things seem to be falling into place, Fiona is sure it's only a matter of time before they are caught.
Written in Polly Horvath's inimitable style, gentle humor and tough obstacles are woven throughout this story about the bonds of sisterhood and what makes a family.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
240 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2020
32 people are currently reading
600 people want to read
About the author
Polly Horvath
45 books300 followersPolly Horvath is the author of many books for young people, including Everything on a Waffle, The Pepins and Their Problems, The Canning Season and The Trolls. Her numerous awards include the Newbery Honor, the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, the Vicky Metcalf Award for Children's Literature, the Mr. Christie Award, the international White Raven, and the Young Adult Canadian Book of the Year. Horvath grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She attended the Canadian College of Dance in Toronto and the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York City. She has taught ballet, waitressed, done temporary typing, and tended babies, but while doing these things she has always also written. Now that her children are in school, she spends the whole day writing, unless she sneaks out to buy groceries, lured away from her desk by the thought of fresh Cheez Whiz. She lives on Vancouver Island with her husband and two daughters.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/pollyh...
http://us.macmillan.com/author/pollyh...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
August 26, 2020
Four orphans are sent to a remote area of British Columbia to live with a great aunt, but when they get there she has just passed away. This book had a bit of a Little Women vibe to it as well as some Penderwicks flavor. Fiona, Marlin, Natasha, and Charlie each put their own unique stamp on the family. I loved all of them so much and was rooting for them to be able to stay together. The girls need a guardian pronto. Will it be the cranky neighbor in the trailer? What about the high school principal who was once homeless herself? Will Fiona be able to keep up with bills and other paperwork and avoid interference by social services? Although we don't meet Aunt Martha in person, we learn some neat things about her through the people who knew her and miss her. Unfortunately, for me there seem to be some loose ends that just weren't tied up in a way that made sense. You left me hanging, Polly Horvath. Hopefully the girls will be back in a second book?
Thank you to Margaret Ferguson Books and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Margaret Ferguson Books and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
August 26, 2021
Die Eltern der vier McCready-Schwestern arbeiteten als Missionare in Asien. Der Tod der Eltern beim Tsunami im Indischen Ozean macht die Mädchen im Alter zwischen 8 und 14 zu Waisen, für die sich außer dem kirchlichen Arbeitgeber der McCreadys niemand verantwortlich fühlt. Ein Jahr lang versucht eine von der Gemeinde beauftragte Helferin, für die Mädchen eine Heimat zu finden – vergeblich. Was niemand geglaubt hätte, Großtante Martha aus British Columbia antwortet schließlich sofort, selbstverständlich wird sie Fiona und ihre Schwestern aufnehmen. Bei der Ankunft auf Pine Island wartet die nächste Hiobsbotschaft: Tante Martha ist wenige Tage zuvor verstorben und hinterlässt den Großnichten eine idyllisch gelegene kleine Farm mit winzigem Küstenstreifen und ihr geliebtes Fischerboot. Farmhaus hin oder her, auch wenn die Mädchen immer wieder in Träume abtauchen, in denen sie gemeinsam von einer Familie aufgenommen werden, können in Kanada Minderjährige nicht allein ohne einen gesetzlichen Betreuer leben. Fiona, mit 14 Jahren die Älteste, greift zur letzten Rettungsleine. Sie werden eisern darüber schweigen, dass sie allein auf der Farm leben und den chaotischen Nachbarn Al mit leckeren Mahlzeiten bestechen, damit er sich als ihr Vormund ausgibt. Dem alten Zausel scheint es ausgesprochen gut zu tun, dass sich wenigstens eine der Schwestern für die Natur und freche Schwarzbären interessiert. Nur wie soll Fiona ihrem neuen Love Interest Davy klarmachen, dass sie die Verantwortung für drei jüngere Schwestern trägt – und bei ihr zuhause nichts normal ist. Die besten Ideen und Geschäftsmodelle nützen nicht, solange Fiona noch nicht volljährig ist. Die überraschende Lösung des Betreuungsproblems fällt einen Tick zu märchenhaft aus, dabei jedoch angenehm unkitschig.
Ein amüsanter, abenteuerlicher und berührender Jugendroman, dessen Stärke die unterschiedlichen Temperamente der Mädchen sind und dass jede die Talente ihrer Schwestern zu schätzen weiß.
Ein amüsanter, abenteuerlicher und berührender Jugendroman, dessen Stärke die unterschiedlichen Temperamente der Mädchen sind und dass jede die Talente ihrer Schwestern zu schätzen weiß.
July 5, 2020
Digital Review Copy (DRC) provided by Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
An absolutely lovely, beautifully written story about sisterhood, incredible losses, and finding home again.
Suddenly orphaned when their missionary parents are swept away in a tsunami in Thailand, the McCready sisters, Fiona, fourteen, Marlin "Marl", twelve, Natasha "Nat", ten, and Charlie, eight, who have lived their entire lives abroad, find themselves a year later still in Borneo without a new home and being cared for by a church volunteer eager to return to her own life. After months of contacting all the McCready's other relatives, their parents' brothers and sisters who one by one decline to take the girls in, they find themselves finally flying to a small village on the coast of British Columbia to live with their Great-aunt Martha McCready, a reclusive fisherwoman and someone their mother used to call "that peculiar woman hiding in the woods".
Relieved to have somewhere to go to live together and not be separated by social services, the girls arrive only to find their Aunt Martha's house empty. Four cots are set up for them, there is a food in the pantry and freezer, they are registered with the local school, so clearly they were expected. But no Aunt Martha. Just when they thought they were safe, they discover, as they explore the old farm house and listen to the ocean waves and watch the eagles fly overhead, that their Aunt Martha is dead from a heart attack at age 60.
Stunned by loss again, oldest sister Fiona rallies and comes up with a plan for the sisters to take care of themselves. They have inherited money from their parents and their aunt, all they need is a guardian. They enlist the incredibly reluctant and usually drunk and angry next door neighbor, Al, to agree to pretend to be their guardian, and they confide in the local school principal, who herself was in foster care when she was young, who agrees to their scheme with a weekly Sunday checkin. Marlin learns to bake and cook, Natasha turns to bird-watching, and Charlie longs to find her new best friend. Meanwhile, Fiona is managing the bills, trying to keep her aunt's lawyer at arm's length so he doesn't uncover their deceptions, and finds herself attracted to a boy in her class. Fiona hopes that everything will be all right as long as nothing else goes wrong. The McCready sisters learn how to cope in their grief for their parents and their determination to survive and stay together leads them to begin to heal not only their broken hearts, but the hearts of all who care for them.
An absolutely lovely, beautifully written story about sisterhood, incredible losses, and finding home again.
Suddenly orphaned when their missionary parents are swept away in a tsunami in Thailand, the McCready sisters, Fiona, fourteen, Marlin "Marl", twelve, Natasha "Nat", ten, and Charlie, eight, who have lived their entire lives abroad, find themselves a year later still in Borneo without a new home and being cared for by a church volunteer eager to return to her own life. After months of contacting all the McCready's other relatives, their parents' brothers and sisters who one by one decline to take the girls in, they find themselves finally flying to a small village on the coast of British Columbia to live with their Great-aunt Martha McCready, a reclusive fisherwoman and someone their mother used to call "that peculiar woman hiding in the woods".
Relieved to have somewhere to go to live together and not be separated by social services, the girls arrive only to find their Aunt Martha's house empty. Four cots are set up for them, there is a food in the pantry and freezer, they are registered with the local school, so clearly they were expected. But no Aunt Martha. Just when they thought they were safe, they discover, as they explore the old farm house and listen to the ocean waves and watch the eagles fly overhead, that their Aunt Martha is dead from a heart attack at age 60.
Stunned by loss again, oldest sister Fiona rallies and comes up with a plan for the sisters to take care of themselves. They have inherited money from their parents and their aunt, all they need is a guardian. They enlist the incredibly reluctant and usually drunk and angry next door neighbor, Al, to agree to pretend to be their guardian, and they confide in the local school principal, who herself was in foster care when she was young, who agrees to their scheme with a weekly Sunday checkin. Marlin learns to bake and cook, Natasha turns to bird-watching, and Charlie longs to find her new best friend. Meanwhile, Fiona is managing the bills, trying to keep her aunt's lawyer at arm's length so he doesn't uncover their deceptions, and finds herself attracted to a boy in her class. Fiona hopes that everything will be all right as long as nothing else goes wrong. The McCready sisters learn how to cope in their grief for their parents and their determination to survive and stay together leads them to begin to heal not only their broken hearts, but the hearts of all who care for them.
August 16, 2020
What a sad little book. It felt like it wanted to have the whimsy of Everything on a Waffle but couldn't quite let go of harsh realities so our intrepid foursome just keep experiencing disappointment after disappointment with a very unresolved and unsatisfying supposedly happy "middle" (as a character earlier expresses not caring for/believing in happy endings). Four sisters, daughters of missionaries, who have travelled as a family all around the world are suddenly orphaned and abandoned by the church to a great aunt in Canada. Only the great aunt dies suddenly as well just before their arrival. Terrified of the specter of social services and the very real chance they will be separated, the girls concoct a plan to live on their own in their great aunt's house. They are found out immediately and suspected by several others but all those adults aid and abet them out of compassion or bribery. For daughters of missionaries there is a surprising complete absence of any religious or spiritual elements included in the story. The citizenship question (the girls are American, living in Canada) is brought up but never resolved. The girls are truly abandoned by the adults they pin their hopes on except for the pretend guardian who has a rather belated miraculous and completely unbelievable transformation. From the beginning it read more like an outline of a story, rather than the actual story, with all of the major action off the page. I did get emotionally involved with the eldest, fourteen-year-old Fiona, who is trying to stay positive, hold it altogether, be the adult, pay the bills, while also having her first crush on a boy. But then her drama with the school dance is the only one that is on the page. I was left feeling very sad and glum, with little hope for the future, even though the ending clearly intends for a happy all-wrapped-up note.
February 13, 2024
Some books just smell like Avonlea and Green Gables. This book ticked all the boxes for me, Fantastic setting, small town, kids making do on their own, a grumpy old man and a little bit of young girl heartbreak. I’ve forgotten how much I love Polly Horvath. She is a master as sussing out genuine characters and unexpected situations.
RATL24: North America, Canada
RATL24: North America, Canada
September 19, 2021
Da mir meine bisherigen Werke aus der Feder von Polly Horvath ausgesprochen gut gefallen haben, war meine Neugierde sofort geweckt als ich das erste Mal von ihrem neuen Buch „Marthas Boot“ hörte. Beim Cover war es bei mir Liebe auf den ersten Blick und da mich der Klappentext ebenfalls direkt ansprach, stand für mich sehr schnell fest: Die vier McCready-Schwestern möchte ich unbedingt kennenlernen.
Als die Eltern der McCready-Schwestern bei einem Tsunami ums Leben kommen, erklärt sich nur ihre Großtante Martha dazu bereit die vier Mädchen bei sich aufzunehmen. Doch als Fiona (14), Marlin (12), Natasha (10) und Charlie (8) in Kanada ankommen, erwartet sie dort bereits die nächste schlimme Nachricht: Auch ihre Großtante ist ganz plötzlich verstorben. Völlig auf sich alleine gestellt versuchen die vier Schwestern nun, sich auf der idyllisch gelegenen kleinen Farm ihrer Großtante ein neues Leben aufzubauen. Dass die vier Mädchen alleine leben, muss allerdings streng geheim bleiben. Sollte das Jugendamt davon erfahren, würden sie sonst ganz bestimmt voneinander getrennt werden. Ob ihr Plan auf lange Sicht gut gehen kann?
Dies war mal wieder so ein Buch, bei dem ich einfach schon nach wenigen Seiten wusste, dass ich es lieben werde. Trotz des traurigen Anfangs habe ich mich sofort pudelwohl in der Geschichte gefühlt und wollte, nachdem ich einmal in ihr versunken war, am liebsten gar nicht mehr aus ihr auftauchen. Da die Erzählung an keiner Stelle ihren Zauber auf mich verloren hat (ganz im Gegenteil) und sich der leichte und flüssige Schreibstil superangenehm für mich hat lesen lassen, bin ich nur so durch die Seiten geflogen und habe „Marthas Boot“ innerhalb eines Tages verschlungen. Mein Lesevergnügen war insgesamt also ein recht kurzes, dafür aber ein zauberhaft schönes. Mein erster Eindruck hat mich also nicht getäuscht: Ja, ich bin total begeistert von diesem Buch!
Beginnen tut die Geschichte wie bereits erwähnt ziemlich traurig. Gleich im ersten Kapitel erfahren wir, dass die Eltern der vier McCready-Schwestern bei einem Tsunami ums Leben gekommen sind und da außer Großtante Martha niemand aus der Familie die vier Mädchen bei sich aufnehmen möchte, verschlägt es uns Leser*innen sehr schnell nach Kanada, wo die Großtante weit abgeschieden auf einer kleinen Farm lebt. Leider müssen die Geschwister kurz nach ihrer Ankunft jedoch erfahren, dass auch ihr neuer Vormund verstorben ist und sie somit nun ganz auf sich alleine gestellt sind.
Obwohl die Stimmung zunächst recht hoffnungslos ist, war ich sofort ganz angetan von ihr. Vor allem ab dem Moment, wenn wir in Kanada ankommen, habe ich die Atmosphäre richtig geliebt. Ich lese wahnsinnig gerne Bücher, die in Kanada spielen, insbesondere in British Columbia. Kulissenmäßig bin ich daher vollkommen auf meine Kosten gekommen – das Setting wird einfach großartig beschrieben. Die Landschaft und die Natur von Pine Island, Tante Marthas malerische kleine Farm...traumhaft, sag ich euch. Ich hatte beim Lesen lauter herrliche Bilder im Kopf und wäre nur zu gerne in das Buch hineingekrochen.
Auch mit den Charakteren hat mich Polly Horvath überzeugen können. Allesamt wurden sie mit viel Liebe und Authentizität ausgearbeitet und machen das Leseerlebnis mit ihren verschiedenen Eigenschaften zu einem ganz besonderen.
Da hätten wir zum einen die vier McCready-Schwestern, die ich augenblicklich in mein Herz geschlossen habe. Mich persönlich haben die vier irgendwie ein kleines bisschen an die March-Schwestern aus „Little Women“ erinnert. Wie diese, so müssen auch Fiona, Marlin, Natasha und Charlie gemeinsam eine harte Zeit durchstehen und könnten unterschiedlicher nicht sein. Jede von ihnen besitzt ihre Besonderheiten, mit denen sie uns Leser*innen verzaubern und so einige sehr spaßige Momente bescheren.
Obwohl die Grundstimmung eine recht melancholische ist, bin ich insgesamt erstaunlich oft ins Schmunzeln geraten. Vor allem die kleine achtjährige Charlie hat mich an vielen Stellen bestens unterhalten und auch die aufgeweckte Marlin hat bei mir öfters für große Erheiterung gesorgt. Also in meinen Augen ist Polly Horvath die Balance zwischen Tiefe und Leichtigkeit, Ernst und Humor fabelhaft geglückt. Sitzt man in einem Moment noch ganz ergriffen da und leidet mit, hat man im nächsten schon wieder ein vergnügtes Lächeln auf den Lippen.
Mich hat es tief bewegt zu sehen wie die vier Schwestern gemeinsam ihre Probleme meistern und dabei über sich selbst hinauswachsen werden und niemals ans Aufgeben denken. Ich bin richtig ins Mitfiebern geraten und habe es einfach zutiefst genossen Zeit mit diesen vier ungleichen Mädchen zu verbringen und mitzuerleben wie sie sich ein neues Leben in Kanada aufbauen.
Wen ich von den Vieren ich am liebsten gewonnen habe, kann ich gar nicht sagen. Mit Fiona, in deren Gefühls- und Gedankenwelt wir eindeutig den anschaulichsten Einblick erhalten, habe ich mich jedenfalls am meisten verbunden gefühlt. Da ich selbst eine große Schwester bin, habe ich mich nur zu gut in sie hineinversetzen können und an vielen Stellen unendlich mit ihr mitgelitten. Da sie die Älteste ist, bleibt das Meiste an ihr hängen und diese große Verantwortung, die permanent auf ihr lastet, erdrückt sie regelrecht und treibt sie öfters an ihre Grenzen. Fiona ist aber beeindruckend stark und entschlossen und sehr erwachsen für ihr Alter – ich habe sie richtig dafür bewundert wie wunderbar sie das alles managt.
Neben den McCready-Schwestern dürfen wir im Verlauf der Geschichte noch viele weitere tolle Figuren kennenlernen wie die herzliche und hilfsbereite Schuldirektorin Miss Webster und den Nachbar Al Farber. Letzteren kann man allerdings nicht als sympathisch bezeichnen. Dieser Typ ist der absolute Griesgram. So unfreundlich und übellaunig er aber auch sein mag, er erklärt sich dazu bereit den Schwestern dabei zu helfen ihre aktuelle Lebenssituation geheim zu halten. Zudem wird sich noch zeigen, dass in ihm durchaus auch nette und positive Züge stecken. Die Entwicklung von Al hat mir neben denen von den Schwestern ganz besonders gut gefallen. Mich hat sie sehr berührt.
Das Ende konnte mich ebenfalls komplett zufriedenstellen. Es ist stimmig und herzerwärmend und rundet die Geschichte perfekt ab. Ich habe das Buch mit einem glücklichen Lächeln im Gesicht wieder zuklappen können, nachdem ich eine unvergessliche Zeit darin verbracht habe.
Fazit: Ein wundervoller und sehr berührender Roman über vier starke Schwestern, die sich nicht unterkriegen lassen.
Mir hat Polly Horvath mit „Marthas Boot“ ein echtes Highlight und absolutes Wohlfühlbuch bescheren können. Das Buch erzählt eine wunderschöne Geschichte über Geschwisterliebe, die Bedeutung von Familie, Hoffnung, Entschlossenheit, Schicksalsschläge und Zusammenhalt, es ist unterhaltsam und ergreifend zugleich und steckt voller Warmherzigkeit und Tiefgang. Ich kann „Marthas Boot“ jedem, egal ob Jung oder Alt, nur ans Herz legen und vergebe 5 von 5 Sternen!
Als die Eltern der McCready-Schwestern bei einem Tsunami ums Leben kommen, erklärt sich nur ihre Großtante Martha dazu bereit die vier Mädchen bei sich aufzunehmen. Doch als Fiona (14), Marlin (12), Natasha (10) und Charlie (8) in Kanada ankommen, erwartet sie dort bereits die nächste schlimme Nachricht: Auch ihre Großtante ist ganz plötzlich verstorben. Völlig auf sich alleine gestellt versuchen die vier Schwestern nun, sich auf der idyllisch gelegenen kleinen Farm ihrer Großtante ein neues Leben aufzubauen. Dass die vier Mädchen alleine leben, muss allerdings streng geheim bleiben. Sollte das Jugendamt davon erfahren, würden sie sonst ganz bestimmt voneinander getrennt werden. Ob ihr Plan auf lange Sicht gut gehen kann?
Dies war mal wieder so ein Buch, bei dem ich einfach schon nach wenigen Seiten wusste, dass ich es lieben werde. Trotz des traurigen Anfangs habe ich mich sofort pudelwohl in der Geschichte gefühlt und wollte, nachdem ich einmal in ihr versunken war, am liebsten gar nicht mehr aus ihr auftauchen. Da die Erzählung an keiner Stelle ihren Zauber auf mich verloren hat (ganz im Gegenteil) und sich der leichte und flüssige Schreibstil superangenehm für mich hat lesen lassen, bin ich nur so durch die Seiten geflogen und habe „Marthas Boot“ innerhalb eines Tages verschlungen. Mein Lesevergnügen war insgesamt also ein recht kurzes, dafür aber ein zauberhaft schönes. Mein erster Eindruck hat mich also nicht getäuscht: Ja, ich bin total begeistert von diesem Buch!
Beginnen tut die Geschichte wie bereits erwähnt ziemlich traurig. Gleich im ersten Kapitel erfahren wir, dass die Eltern der vier McCready-Schwestern bei einem Tsunami ums Leben gekommen sind und da außer Großtante Martha niemand aus der Familie die vier Mädchen bei sich aufnehmen möchte, verschlägt es uns Leser*innen sehr schnell nach Kanada, wo die Großtante weit abgeschieden auf einer kleinen Farm lebt. Leider müssen die Geschwister kurz nach ihrer Ankunft jedoch erfahren, dass auch ihr neuer Vormund verstorben ist und sie somit nun ganz auf sich alleine gestellt sind.
Obwohl die Stimmung zunächst recht hoffnungslos ist, war ich sofort ganz angetan von ihr. Vor allem ab dem Moment, wenn wir in Kanada ankommen, habe ich die Atmosphäre richtig geliebt. Ich lese wahnsinnig gerne Bücher, die in Kanada spielen, insbesondere in British Columbia. Kulissenmäßig bin ich daher vollkommen auf meine Kosten gekommen – das Setting wird einfach großartig beschrieben. Die Landschaft und die Natur von Pine Island, Tante Marthas malerische kleine Farm...traumhaft, sag ich euch. Ich hatte beim Lesen lauter herrliche Bilder im Kopf und wäre nur zu gerne in das Buch hineingekrochen.
Auch mit den Charakteren hat mich Polly Horvath überzeugen können. Allesamt wurden sie mit viel Liebe und Authentizität ausgearbeitet und machen das Leseerlebnis mit ihren verschiedenen Eigenschaften zu einem ganz besonderen.
Da hätten wir zum einen die vier McCready-Schwestern, die ich augenblicklich in mein Herz geschlossen habe. Mich persönlich haben die vier irgendwie ein kleines bisschen an die March-Schwestern aus „Little Women“ erinnert. Wie diese, so müssen auch Fiona, Marlin, Natasha und Charlie gemeinsam eine harte Zeit durchstehen und könnten unterschiedlicher nicht sein. Jede von ihnen besitzt ihre Besonderheiten, mit denen sie uns Leser*innen verzaubern und so einige sehr spaßige Momente bescheren.
Obwohl die Grundstimmung eine recht melancholische ist, bin ich insgesamt erstaunlich oft ins Schmunzeln geraten. Vor allem die kleine achtjährige Charlie hat mich an vielen Stellen bestens unterhalten und auch die aufgeweckte Marlin hat bei mir öfters für große Erheiterung gesorgt. Also in meinen Augen ist Polly Horvath die Balance zwischen Tiefe und Leichtigkeit, Ernst und Humor fabelhaft geglückt. Sitzt man in einem Moment noch ganz ergriffen da und leidet mit, hat man im nächsten schon wieder ein vergnügtes Lächeln auf den Lippen.
Mich hat es tief bewegt zu sehen wie die vier Schwestern gemeinsam ihre Probleme meistern und dabei über sich selbst hinauswachsen werden und niemals ans Aufgeben denken. Ich bin richtig ins Mitfiebern geraten und habe es einfach zutiefst genossen Zeit mit diesen vier ungleichen Mädchen zu verbringen und mitzuerleben wie sie sich ein neues Leben in Kanada aufbauen.
Wen ich von den Vieren ich am liebsten gewonnen habe, kann ich gar nicht sagen. Mit Fiona, in deren Gefühls- und Gedankenwelt wir eindeutig den anschaulichsten Einblick erhalten, habe ich mich jedenfalls am meisten verbunden gefühlt. Da ich selbst eine große Schwester bin, habe ich mich nur zu gut in sie hineinversetzen können und an vielen Stellen unendlich mit ihr mitgelitten. Da sie die Älteste ist, bleibt das Meiste an ihr hängen und diese große Verantwortung, die permanent auf ihr lastet, erdrückt sie regelrecht und treibt sie öfters an ihre Grenzen. Fiona ist aber beeindruckend stark und entschlossen und sehr erwachsen für ihr Alter – ich habe sie richtig dafür bewundert wie wunderbar sie das alles managt.
Neben den McCready-Schwestern dürfen wir im Verlauf der Geschichte noch viele weitere tolle Figuren kennenlernen wie die herzliche und hilfsbereite Schuldirektorin Miss Webster und den Nachbar Al Farber. Letzteren kann man allerdings nicht als sympathisch bezeichnen. Dieser Typ ist der absolute Griesgram. So unfreundlich und übellaunig er aber auch sein mag, er erklärt sich dazu bereit den Schwestern dabei zu helfen ihre aktuelle Lebenssituation geheim zu halten. Zudem wird sich noch zeigen, dass in ihm durchaus auch nette und positive Züge stecken. Die Entwicklung von Al hat mir neben denen von den Schwestern ganz besonders gut gefallen. Mich hat sie sehr berührt.
Das Ende konnte mich ebenfalls komplett zufriedenstellen. Es ist stimmig und herzerwärmend und rundet die Geschichte perfekt ab. Ich habe das Buch mit einem glücklichen Lächeln im Gesicht wieder zuklappen können, nachdem ich eine unvergessliche Zeit darin verbracht habe.
Fazit: Ein wundervoller und sehr berührender Roman über vier starke Schwestern, die sich nicht unterkriegen lassen.
Mir hat Polly Horvath mit „Marthas Boot“ ein echtes Highlight und absolutes Wohlfühlbuch bescheren können. Das Buch erzählt eine wunderschöne Geschichte über Geschwisterliebe, die Bedeutung von Familie, Hoffnung, Entschlossenheit, Schicksalsschläge und Zusammenhalt, es ist unterhaltsam und ergreifend zugleich und steckt voller Warmherzigkeit und Tiefgang. Ich kann „Marthas Boot“ jedem, egal ob Jung oder Alt, nur ans Herz legen und vergebe 5 von 5 Sternen!
March 28, 2020
This one is a 3.5 for me, mostly because I'm not so sure that four youngsters could have fallen beneath the radar for so long. Still, I enjoyed the story and appreciated the character development for the most part. The four McCready sisters travel to St. Mary's By the Sea in British Columbia to live on a farm with their great-aunt after their parents die and no other relatives step up to take them in. But once they arrive there from Borneo, they discover that Aunt Martha has died, and there is no responsible adult to vouch for them. Fourteen-year-old Fiona comes up with a scheme in which Al, a neighbor who lives in a nearby trailer, will pretend to be their guardian in exchange for meals and cash. As the girls settle in, they fall in love with the small town and the beautiful natural setting and are befriended by the school principal, principal, Miss Webster who agrees to keep their secret. The girls learn various skills, and Marlin becomes quite adept at culinary skills. But all the adult burdens become too much for Fiona, and she becomes certain that she's found just the right person to take the siblings in and provide a real home. Alas! That turns out to be wishful thinking and doesn't come to fruition. It was fun to watch each girl flourish and to realize that there was more to Al than met the eye. By the time the story ended, I was immensely curious about Aunt Martha and wanted to know more about what she must have been like. Fans of this author's previous stories will enjoy this one just as much. I also did except it was hard to believe that so many adults would overlook what was going on.
October 4, 2020
Horvath is a great author of middle school reads and this one follows suit. Four sisters become orphans and head to Canada to live with their great aunt, whom they have never met. They get there, and their aunt had passed away a few days before their arrival. They decide to keep quiet about their living adult free. This is well written.
April 20, 2021
3.5 stars. Cute middle grades novel, very reminiscent of the Penderwicks.
April 18, 2023
2,5/5🌟
May 10, 2021
It's been many years since I read Polly Horvath's
Everything on a Waffle
for the mother-daughter book club at the library, but I remember liking it. When my friend Sue gave this middle grade novel by the same author a positive review, I had a feeling that I'd like it too - and I was right!
Pine Island Home is the kind of story about spunky girls that I loved as a young reader and in which I still find delight. As the oldest child of a family of girls, I especially could identify with Fiona - even now - and as a young girl I certainly would have been captivated by her ability to attack head-on the problems she and sisters were facing.
I also enjoyed the setting, and I know that I would be happy to spend some time in British Columbia.
Pine Island Home is the kind of story about spunky girls that I loved as a young reader and in which I still find delight. As the oldest child of a family of girls, I especially could identify with Fiona - even now - and as a young girl I certainly would have been captivated by her ability to attack head-on the problems she and sisters were facing.
I also enjoyed the setting, and I know that I would be happy to spend some time in British Columbia.
September 13, 2020
Delightful story about four resourceful sisters who find themselves orphaned and in possession of a house in a new town, and proceed to conceal their guardian-less state for as long as possible. This is a classic Horvath scenario, with a fantastic cast of characters and a somewhat dark premise delivered with a light, slightly droll touch. This domestic twist on a survival story is engaging and will leave kids considering how they would manage the situation. A contemporary Canadian classic.
December 3, 2020
Even though this book is totally far-fetched, it's still a funny, heartfelt read about grief, capability, making the best of a bad situation, asking for help when needed, and found family. The characters are sympathetic and likable - even those who don't appear to be so at first. The book ends in a realistic (ish) way and teaches a great lesson about finding "happy middles." I enjoyed this entertaining MG novel.
May 24, 2021
I can sympathise with getting to the end of a story and not knowing how to end it so just going 'uhhhhhhh here are some words arranged in a pleasing fashion no more questions the end' but as a READER I'm annoyed. Where is the REST of it!
December 3, 2020
I loved this book!! It was a nice relaxing read about 4 sisters who have to live on there own.❤️❤️
May 3, 2021
A slow start but a solid entry into the kids making it without adults subgenre.
December 7, 2023
A cozy read about four sisters trying to fend for themselves after the death of their parents and the great aunt who was supposed to be their caretaker.
December 1, 2020
Reminds me of a mix of the Penderwicks series and the Fitzgerald-Trouts series.
October 31, 2020
I heart Polly Horvath!
October 4, 2020
Horvath's writing is lovely and I enjoyed the atmospheric descriptions of the island. While I appreciated that the book's premise acknowledges the real issue that siblings are often separated in foster care, the story is very much a fantasy, never dealing with the logistical or emotional realities of being orphaned. Unfortunately, the persistent fatphobia in the novel put me off completely.
October 16, 2023
I liked it. It was simple but the characters and worries and family were real. I also like that there was no real fairy tale ending but there was still hope. It was an easy, and thought provoking and good read.
October 16, 2023
Fiona made me cry. I felt all her feelings deep in my soul.
May 7, 2020
Horvath is known for her inter-generational stories, full of heart and LOL (often dark) humor and I've long been a fan. PINE ISLAND HOME has all her trademark elements in spades. Four American sisters are orphaned and end up being sent to their great aunt’s heritage farm in British Columbia. Only to have their great aunt die two days before they arrive. The oldest sister, Fiona is fourteen and the story is told through her third-person POV. Marlin is 12, Natasha, 10, and Charlie, 8. The sisters, distinct and very different from each other, survive on their own through ingenuity, teamwork, and the covert help of the school principal, a gnome-like lawyer, and to a much lesser extent, Al, the grouchy man who lives in a messy trailer full of beer cans next to their great aunt’s property. He was in love with their great aunt who refused to marry him. Al agrees to be their guardian in name only if they’ll bring him home-cooked dinners each night. Perhaps predictably, little by little the girls worm their way into his heart. Fiona carries the weight of being the eldest sister and carrying the story and does it admirably until she has a mini-breakdown when her one shot at romance is ruined by Al. The girls have many ups and downs and in the end, Al cleans up his act in surprising ways and is the character who changes the most in the story. The ending is slightly abrupt, but overall this is another Horvath winner!
September 13, 2020
Polly Horvath, writer of a Newberry Honor Book, a Nat'l Book Award Finalist and a Nat'l Book Award winner, has written a heart-warming tribute to family and recovery after devastating loss. The McCready sisters are left without parents and it seems that no one wants to encumber themselves with 4 young girls until finally a largely unknown aunt agrees to give them a home. With foster care and likely separation averted, the girls move to a farm in British Columbia only to discover that their aunt has died, leaving nearly all her worldly possessions to them. Oldest sister Fiona launches the girls into a large scale deception to make everyone believe that they have an adult guardian supervising them when, in fact, it is primarily 14 year old Fiona who is in charge of their care. Readers will hurt for the heavy weight on Fiona, cheer Marlin as she becomes a pre-teen cooking whiz, worry over Natasha as she isolates herself in the wildlife of the region, and yearn for Charlie to start feeling safe again. Other strong and engaging personalities emerge in Horvath's work-cranky neighbor Al, Miss Webster the caring principal, and her handy friend Don. This book is highly recommended for ages 10 and up who are fans of other writers of sad-happy MG fiction authors such as Lisa Graff, Jordan Sonnenblick, Barbara O'Connor, Cynthia Lord and Joan Bauer.
Thanks for the print ARC, Amazon Vine!
Thanks for the print ARC, Amazon Vine!
October 24, 2020
A delightful middle grades book
March 15, 2024
This was cute!! Definitely had a more classic, Anne of Green Gables type feel despite being a more recent release. You need to suspend your disbelief a lot though!
August 20, 2023
At first it was a bit difficult for me to dive into Pine Island Home. Sure, this is a work of fiction, but the premise of four little girls losing their parents and being forced to uproot their lives to move into a home where they fake having a guardian pushes my limits. However, author Polly Horvath makes each of these little ladies so lovable and investable that by the time I reached the middle of the book I thought, “Huh. I guess I do like this book.” As hesitant as I was initially, do take your time to turn each page and find yourself hooked on a happy ending for these precious girls.
Fiona (14), Natasha (12), Marlin (10) and Charlie (8) used to live in Borneo with their religious-minded mother and father. That is until their parents pass away in a tsunami. Unable to find anyone to look after them, they are stuck moving to British Colombia to live with their spinster great aunt who has had no contact with her family for quite some time. However, when the girls arrive, they are met with another loss that leaves them living in their Great Aunt Martha’s home unsupervised. The only adult they have to “look after” them is a curmudgeon neighbor named Al who is willing to help them stay in their home and play fake guardian in exchange for a weekly $20 allowance of beer money and the opportunity to eat a nightly homemade meal courtesy of Marlin. What follows is a day-to-day effort to avoid social services separating the girls and the ever-aggravating Mr. Pennypacker – their aunt’s attorney who is constantly seeking proof that they were actually left in the care of Al.
As I noted, I found it a bit hard to invest in this scheme that has four young girls living by themselves with limited supervision. Sure, they have the local principal that comes weekly to check on their home environment (she’s their lone compassionate connection that knows their secret), but really what if they got sick or injured? Al is not known for being overly helpful so would it cost them to have him rush them to the hospital? However, it seems the girls are fairly lucky in that aspect. Plus, with all of the loss and trauma these girls have experienced I was surprised the principal doesn’t encourage the girls to see the school counselor and have them at least get a little bit of therapy as an outlet for all of the trauma they’ve experienced.
Regardless of my qualms over the fantastic nature of the premise, Pine Island Home is a sweet read. The girls are so closely tied to one another, and each have their own personality that you can truly resonate and find a special place in your heart for each one. Pick up this young adult read and find yourself rooting for four young ladies who may live alone, but aways have one another to love and lean on.
Fiona (14), Natasha (12), Marlin (10) and Charlie (8) used to live in Borneo with their religious-minded mother and father. That is until their parents pass away in a tsunami. Unable to find anyone to look after them, they are stuck moving to British Colombia to live with their spinster great aunt who has had no contact with her family for quite some time. However, when the girls arrive, they are met with another loss that leaves them living in their Great Aunt Martha’s home unsupervised. The only adult they have to “look after” them is a curmudgeon neighbor named Al who is willing to help them stay in their home and play fake guardian in exchange for a weekly $20 allowance of beer money and the opportunity to eat a nightly homemade meal courtesy of Marlin. What follows is a day-to-day effort to avoid social services separating the girls and the ever-aggravating Mr. Pennypacker – their aunt’s attorney who is constantly seeking proof that they were actually left in the care of Al.
As I noted, I found it a bit hard to invest in this scheme that has four young girls living by themselves with limited supervision. Sure, they have the local principal that comes weekly to check on their home environment (she’s their lone compassionate connection that knows their secret), but really what if they got sick or injured? Al is not known for being overly helpful so would it cost them to have him rush them to the hospital? However, it seems the girls are fairly lucky in that aspect. Plus, with all of the loss and trauma these girls have experienced I was surprised the principal doesn’t encourage the girls to see the school counselor and have them at least get a little bit of therapy as an outlet for all of the trauma they’ve experienced.
Regardless of my qualms over the fantastic nature of the premise, Pine Island Home is a sweet read. The girls are so closely tied to one another, and each have their own personality that you can truly resonate and find a special place in your heart for each one. Pick up this young adult read and find yourself rooting for four young ladies who may live alone, but aways have one another to love and lean on.
September 26, 2020
There will be few books for authors which will not find great sum but those books will grab the hearts of people. This happens in every intuition or field in the world. We will not have any clue why these things are happening. On such book is Polly Horvath’s “Pine Island Home”.
This is based on four sisters, daughters of missionaries, who have travelled as a family all around the world. The four daughters are suddenly orphaned and abandoned by the church to a great aunt in Canada. The rest of the novel are the stories of orphans making it on their own and finding family. It’s a comforting coming-of-age tale about four sisters whose missionary parents are killed in a tsunami. Their great-aunt Martha agrees to take them in, but when Fiona and her younger sisters, Marlin, Natasha and Charlie, arrive on Pine Island, they discover Martha has just died. This might sound like Naladhamyanthi (Tamil) movie. It has similar plot line to the movie. The girls are terrified of the spectre of social services. They feel tere will be a chance of separation. The girls concoct a plan to live on their own in their great aunt's house. The sisters move into her house anyway. Determined to keep her family together, Fiona negotiates with Al, the eccentric and often inebriated writer who lives on the property adjacent to Martha’s. He agrees to pretend to be their guardian in exchange for beer, money and dinners cooked by budding chef Marlin.
When I read, I found pity of these four sisters.The way Fiona pulls the sisters in order to make “HOME” is brilliant. Home is huge concept in literature. In real life too, buying a own house and calling it as our home is a priceless feeling. At the end of the novel, I was uplifted by their strength, resilience, and charm as they met their less-than-ideal circumstances with hope, optimism and determination.
This is based on four sisters, daughters of missionaries, who have travelled as a family all around the world. The four daughters are suddenly orphaned and abandoned by the church to a great aunt in Canada. The rest of the novel are the stories of orphans making it on their own and finding family. It’s a comforting coming-of-age tale about four sisters whose missionary parents are killed in a tsunami. Their great-aunt Martha agrees to take them in, but when Fiona and her younger sisters, Marlin, Natasha and Charlie, arrive on Pine Island, they discover Martha has just died. This might sound like Naladhamyanthi (Tamil) movie. It has similar plot line to the movie. The girls are terrified of the spectre of social services. They feel tere will be a chance of separation. The girls concoct a plan to live on their own in their great aunt's house. The sisters move into her house anyway. Determined to keep her family together, Fiona negotiates with Al, the eccentric and often inebriated writer who lives on the property adjacent to Martha’s. He agrees to pretend to be their guardian in exchange for beer, money and dinners cooked by budding chef Marlin.
When I read, I found pity of these four sisters.The way Fiona pulls the sisters in order to make “HOME” is brilliant. Home is huge concept in literature. In real life too, buying a own house and calling it as our home is a priceless feeling. At the end of the novel, I was uplifted by their strength, resilience, and charm as they met their less-than-ideal circumstances with hope, optimism and determination.
Read
August 27, 2021* Review copy courtesy of ALAN 2020 book box. Thank you!
I immediately fell in love with the four McCready sisters. Fiona, Marlin, Natasha, and Charlie each have their own unique personalities that add depth to PINE ISLAND HOME. With the help of several other quirky characters, they bring the novel to life in ways that are sure to stay with me.
The sisters are about to make a life-changing move. As the children of missionaries, they are used to moving around the world, however, this move is different. They are leaving Borneo headed to British Columbia, Canada, to live with an aunt they have never met or even heard of. Tragedy is the reason for the move. Their parents both lost their lives in a tsunami leaving the girls orphaned.
For a year the girls' temporary guardian contacted distant relatives searching for a new home for the girls. It wasn't until the last resort, Aunt Martha, expressed the willingness to take on the orphans. The good news lasted only until the four arrived in the tiny Canadian town. They were greeted by the news that Aunt Martha had suddenly died mere weeks ago.
As the oldest Fiona must decide their fate. She definitely wants to avoid social services since there is no guarantee that the sisters will stay together if placed in foster care. That leaves an intricate path of lies to hide that fact that they are living at Aunt Martha's farm without an adult present. An agreeable school principal, Aunt Martha's reluctant lawyer, and a cranky, old author in a nearby trailer all play parts in the deception to keep the McCready sisters together.
Clever scenarios and plot twists combine with creative ideas to make PINE ISLAND HOME a pleasure to read. Author Polly Horvath will have readers flipping pages as they chuckle, worry, and cheer for Fiona and her sisters.
I immediately fell in love with the four McCready sisters. Fiona, Marlin, Natasha, and Charlie each have their own unique personalities that add depth to PINE ISLAND HOME. With the help of several other quirky characters, they bring the novel to life in ways that are sure to stay with me.
The sisters are about to make a life-changing move. As the children of missionaries, they are used to moving around the world, however, this move is different. They are leaving Borneo headed to British Columbia, Canada, to live with an aunt they have never met or even heard of. Tragedy is the reason for the move. Their parents both lost their lives in a tsunami leaving the girls orphaned.
For a year the girls' temporary guardian contacted distant relatives searching for a new home for the girls. It wasn't until the last resort, Aunt Martha, expressed the willingness to take on the orphans. The good news lasted only until the four arrived in the tiny Canadian town. They were greeted by the news that Aunt Martha had suddenly died mere weeks ago.
As the oldest Fiona must decide their fate. She definitely wants to avoid social services since there is no guarantee that the sisters will stay together if placed in foster care. That leaves an intricate path of lies to hide that fact that they are living at Aunt Martha's farm without an adult present. An agreeable school principal, Aunt Martha's reluctant lawyer, and a cranky, old author in a nearby trailer all play parts in the deception to keep the McCready sisters together.
Clever scenarios and plot twists combine with creative ideas to make PINE ISLAND HOME a pleasure to read. Author Polly Horvath will have readers flipping pages as they chuckle, worry, and cheer for Fiona and her sisters.
March 18, 2025
3.5 stars
having rated ones of Polly Horvath's previous works (night garden) at only two stars; this old-fashioned feeling middle grade about orphans is substantially better, with simple writing and a light hearted, almost dream-like, tone.
the writing is like most MG's; simple, with lack of description and overexaggerated dialogue, though some nice humor. however, the novel has a sort of feel similar to the likes of L.M. Montgomery; partly due to word choose but mostly to the highly segmented pacing. each chapter is like a short story, like the same characters in roughly the same time. the characters themselves, even small side ones, are filled with personality; but it feels like the author is trying a bit too hard to make the mains 'iconic'. besides Al, none of the characters have any sort of arc or development, unlike the similar 'Emily of new moon' trilogy or 'Anne of green gables' series.
the tone is very light hearted all the time, even though some darker themes are somewhat present. the plot requires a strong suspension of disbelief, giving the book an overall lack of severity and an almost dream-like feel. the plot is so unrealistic because the plot choosing surrounding these orphans requires a hefty ton of lawyers and evading social services, but these elements are pushed off in favor of, though good, daily slice of life. some characters also seem to disintegrate out of the plot, moving to Yukon or not having a house number because the plot is trying quite hard for whimsy. whether it succeeds at whimsy is a personal option, but i don't think it quite hit it for me. a solid and fun slice of life-sure! a classic to be reread for generations-not quite.
did i enjoy it? -yes!
would i read it again? -probably not
would i have read it knowing what i do after? -yes!
having rated ones of Polly Horvath's previous works (night garden) at only two stars; this old-fashioned feeling middle grade about orphans is substantially better, with simple writing and a light hearted, almost dream-like, tone.
the writing is like most MG's; simple, with lack of description and overexaggerated dialogue, though some nice humor. however, the novel has a sort of feel similar to the likes of L.M. Montgomery; partly due to word choose but mostly to the highly segmented pacing. each chapter is like a short story, like the same characters in roughly the same time. the characters themselves, even small side ones, are filled with personality; but it feels like the author is trying a bit too hard to make the mains 'iconic'. besides Al, none of the characters have any sort of arc or development, unlike the similar 'Emily of new moon' trilogy or 'Anne of green gables' series.
the tone is very light hearted all the time, even though some darker themes are somewhat present. the plot requires a strong suspension of disbelief, giving the book an overall lack of severity and an almost dream-like feel. the plot is so unrealistic because the plot choosing surrounding these orphans requires a hefty ton of lawyers and evading social services, but these elements are pushed off in favor of, though good, daily slice of life. some characters also seem to disintegrate out of the plot, moving to Yukon or not having a house number because the plot is trying quite hard for whimsy. whether it succeeds at whimsy is a personal option, but i don't think it quite hit it for me. a solid and fun slice of life-sure! a classic to be reread for generations-not quite.
did i enjoy it? -yes!
would i read it again? -probably not
would i have read it knowing what i do after? -yes!
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