Ghost Girl: A Blue Ridge Mountain Story

by Delia Ray

Eleven-year-old April Sloane has never set foot in a school before, and now that President Hoover and his wife are building a one-room schoolhouse in the hollow of the Blue Ridge Mountains where April lives, she is eager to attend it. But these are the Depression years, and Mama, who has been grieving ever since the accidental death of her seven-year-old son, wants April to stay home and do the chores around their dilapidated farm. With her grandmother's intercession, April is grudgingly allowed to go. The kind teacher encourages her apt pupil, who finds a new world opening up to her. But at home, April cannot repair the relationship with her mother, and worse, her mother overhears the dark secret April confesses to her teacher regarding the true cause of her brother's death, for which April feels responsible. The author has used her own experience growing up in a rural area of northern Virginia to create the vivid characters and authentic dialogue and background detail that characterize this finely honed debut novel. She has based the one-room schoolhouse on papers in the Hoover Presidential Library in West Branch, Iowa, which include letters between the White House and the young teacher who taught at the school.

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

224 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2003

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Don't let the cover of this book shy you away from reading it. It's a great book. There is a newer edition has a nicer cover illustration.*

This novel follows fictional April Sloane from the time she is 11 to about 14 years old. She lives in a remote area in the mountains near where Herbert Hoover has built his retreat, Camp Rapidan. In 1929, it comes to President and Mrs Hoover's attention that there is no school for the children and families living on the mountains near their retreat. So they build and fund a schoolhouse and provide a teacher. April longs to go to school more than anything, but she meets much resistance from her mother. April also has some tragedy in her past. He younger brother recently died, and his death haunts their family, especially the mother. There's more to this incident, but I don't want to give plot spoilers.

What I enjoyed most was the growth April experienced over the course of the novel, her motivation to learn, and her independent nature, her stubborn streak. April is full of imperfections, and yet is very lovable. I loved the other characters the author built up--the grandmother, the teacher, the Hoovers, the bully/friend (preachers' son), some of the marines, and more. I loved that the situations in the novel were far from perfect and that many things were resolved, but not perfectly. It felt more authentic than a neat and tidy conclusion.

[Bekah Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ghost Girl takes place during the Great Depression in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The main character, April Sloane, attends a school built by President Hoover and his wife, and she struggles with balancing her chores and responsibilities at home with her desire to learn. I really liked this book because the teacher, Ms. Vest, is the epitome of a great teacher who goes above and beyond to make sure that students are encouraged to learn. Ms. Vest develops great relationships with her students, though some of them decide that working with their families is more useful than learning. This book could be used when learning about how the Great Depression impacted different parts of America. Although many parts of the country were impacted severely, the people of the rural Blue Ridge Mountains didn't notice a difference until the end of the book when the President proposes building a national park on their land.

[Darren Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book of history. I live where this book takes place Madison County VA and thought the book went a long with many historic events. My grand mothers older sisters and brothers were born at Dark Hallow a place mention in the book and my family was kicked off the mountain and was not given any compensation. I can go up into the park and get a key from a park ranger and visit a family cemetery anytime I please. so for me this book hits right at home. I have even been in the school house that has been moved and converted to a ranger station. I would highly recommend reading this book and learn some history

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read with an intriguing story. It is historical fiction which is the author's specialty. She created a wonderful story from letters she found written by the real-life teacher portrayed in the story. I enjoyed learning about how President and Mrs. Hoover changed the lives of so many children with the school they provided for the people of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It would be interesting to go see the site of where the story took place.

[Liz B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ignore the horrible cover and misleading title. This is a great middle-grade historical fiction book that tackles a variety of issues--both wider historical issues like rural poverty, education, and the problems of progress, and intensely personal issues, like guilt and forgiveness and family. President Hoover establishes a school in the Blue Ridge Mountains and it brings both problems and opportunities to a young girl.

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun story. It's always cool to read something about a place you know. I did think the author glossed over the struggle with the Parkway and displacing residents, but I realize she had a particular angle - and I appreciated that she did address that issue.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based on letters exchanged between the teacher and the white house, this story about 11 year old April shows how she grows in mind and spirit. President Herbert Hoover and his wife build a "retreat" in the Blue Ridge Mountains. As they enjoy life there, they build a school for the children. As April struggles to learn her abc's and 123's, she struggles with the death of her little brother and with the lost love of her mother. A good story.

[Kerri · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book couldn’t decide what it wanted to be - is it historical fiction? it a family tragedy? Is it a romance? Is it a story of self discovery? A story of overcoming odds? A story of female empowerment?

In the end, it’s bits of all of these with nothing fully developed. It could have been a wonderful story, but it tried to do too much

[Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was very interesting, I really liked it. It was about a girl named April Sloane who finds out that President Herbert Hoover is building a school in the Blue Ridge Mountains where she lives.

[Anissa G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was touching, beautiful, and sad. It teaches you about the ups and downs of family. I feel like this book moved me more than I expected.

[Brenda Proulx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on a true event.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely short book.

[Miss Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

gr 5-8 213 pgs

1929-1932 Blue Ridge Mountains Virginia. 11 year old April Sloane has never been to school. When President Hoover opens the President's Mountain School, for children living on the mountain, April wants to go too. With the help of Aunt Birdie, April is able to convince her mother to let her attend. More than anything April wants to learn to read. With the help of Miss Vest, April hopes that her wish might finally come true.

Although based on the true experiences of Miss Vest, the main characters are fictional. The story is not just a story about learning to read, but also a story about healing as April deals with her grief over her younger brother's death the previous year. The story included a lot of information about daily life for April and her classmates as well as information about life in the 1930s in general(Hoovervilles, Sears catalogue, etc). Great story

[Keri Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story that is great for adolescents and adults. It's also important historical fiction as it details the way of local life and people here immediately prior to the (de) construction of the National Shenandoah Park. This was devastating to many and a political gain for others - a sacrifice often forgotten for many of our park systems convuluted pasts. But this books also tells an important story of a young girl forced to grow up within the shadow of her brothers death. She still has triumpths following that haunting loss, including teaching herself to read, however it comes with some lessons about life and how we grieve not easily forgotten. A window into the past, and a book that makes the reader more cognizant of modern day conveniences as this is set within the very first school in this mountain region. The teacher gives a compelling portrait of why those who teach, do. Read for April 2016 YA Book Club, Blue Ridge Va. Recommended.

[Zia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite depressing, but probably realistic story about the rural mountains of Virginia during the Depression era. President Hoover has a summer home "Rapidan" and orders that a school be built in the area.

Tow-headed, pale April wants very badly to attend the new school, with the new, fancy-dressed, kind teacher (Miss Vest), but her mother is set against it. She needs more help than ever around the house, with her husband traveling to get work, and her young son having died in an accident.

The book is about April's struggle to learn to read (without the opportunity of going to school), and her stuggle with the secret she holds about her brother's accident.

The best developed character to me is Aunt Birdy, who is really April's grandmother. She is very colorful and wise, and adds an underlying current of light to this dark story.

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book on a whim from the library in the young adult fiction section. It was a quick read, with characters based on real people who did in fact live and make this school in West Virginia. The author did a good job in describing the life of poverty and ignorance that is most of these families' fate, including what happens to one family when they are not able handle their grief after losing a child. The mother of the main character, April, is incredibly unlikeable and frustrating, but the author stays true to that characterization throughout the book, as well as characterizations of the others in the story.

[Sherrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I was searching for color books, this one popped up. I know it's an easy book. But it is so well told and easy to read. The author takes you on trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains and you feel like your there. I just wanted to give April a big hug and tell her she was beautiful. April has a very rocky relationship with her mother, she doesn't feel like she's loved or wanted. The the big secret April has been keeping gets out and her mother tells her to leave. So April moves in with the Miss Vest, the school teacher. Does April get the relationship with her mother fixed? Does she learn to read and write? You'll have to read the book to find out.

[Jazzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in eighth grade. If I actually read its always a horror kind of book. This story is not one of those books but I found it to be one hell of story. I remember the story crystal clear. Its kind of a sad book but it gets exciting throughout the book. When i read this book I cried, laughed, I felt like part of it. The author does a good job narrating the book with a southern accent which makes the book fun to read.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I assigned the decade of the 1930's to my sixth graders and had them read a book set then. I used different resources to come up with a list of titles for them and found this book. I am so glad that I did! I have Kentucky roots and I can hear the sounds of that region echoing in this book, even though it's set in Virginia. It's an extremely good representation of what life was like for a lot of people during the Hoover years. Loved it!

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinated for a couple of reasons. The grandparents in the story has the last name of Lockley and that was my great grandmothers first name as well as her grandmothers name. I do not know where this name comes from but have suspected it to be a surname. This book was based on the true story of President Hoover building the Mountain School and the families being removed from the Blue Ridge to establish Shenandoah National park

[Jami · Rating 5 out of 5]

A girl with a dream to go to school thinks she's the luckiest girl on Earth when her dream comes true. She feels that it is her fault that her brother died and when she tells her teacher the story her mom over heard. Her mom was so mad that she exiled April from her home. Luckily her teacher took her in, but will her mom ever forgive her?

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written book based on the true story of teacher Christine Vest, who comes to teach at the Mountain School built by President Hoover, near where he had a summer home. Set in the Appalachian Mountains, the story gives a clear picture of what life was like for families in this secluded area.

[Melody Savage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clean. April, or Ghost Girl, lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains and has to cope with the death of her younger brother and her mother's extreme reaction to it. She finds friends to help her through, and relies on a loving grandmother to make sense of things. It's a coming of age story which deals with grief and crisis head-on, showing how some people can be resilient and others can't.

[Ms. Heres]

This is historical fiction about a girl who wants, more than anything, to learn to read. She lives in a small community in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the 1920's and Hoover has decided to build a school in her community. However, just because a school is available does not mean she will be able to attend.

[Zimma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in Depression Era Appalachia, based in the journal of Miss Vest, teacher.
April, a young girl, is excited that a school is being built but must challenge her grieving mother to go. Later she is expelled from her home and lives with the teacher. It sounds harsh, but April has a good support system and the result is a warm, endearing story.

[Mrs. O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved Aunt Birdy's character. Loved the dialect. It rang true.
Appreciated the realistic characterization of the grief-stricken mother.
Devoured this one in one evening after work.
Reminded me of Sweet Creek Holler in some ways. Made me want to visit Shenandoah National Park and explore surrounding areas.

[Liaken · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story that gets harder and harder. It is based on real people and events concerning the first school built in the Blue Ridge Mountain area. It subtly addresses the hardness that enters a person when blame and lack of forgiveness are the standard mode of operation.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because I grew up in the Appalachian Mountains. It portrays many of the hardships the people had to endure during the depression. Gave me some insight into why my grandparents were such hard working and self reliant people. Good read!

[Jennifer Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting yet depressing look at the families that were effected by President Hoover's Mountain Schools and eventually displaced as the Shenendoah National Park was created. Well written drawing on actual events and real people.

[Sarah Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book mainly because I live at the foot of The Blue Ridge Mountains. I could also relate to the main character because my mother and I never really got a long. I also love history and found the facts accurate. It's a good easy read.