Hattie Ever After

I enjoyed this book as much as I enjoyed the first. I wasn't planning on reading it so soon but found a copy in a Little Free Library at the park near my house which was exciting! I plan to return it with a copy of the first book so someone else can enjoy the full story of Hattie Inez Brooks. Hattie continues to be fearless and determined to find her place in the world. Her dream is to become a reporter which was difficult to do at that time especially being a female. I love the lessons she learns along the way and how she does things her way to get where she wants to be in the end. Recommended to anyone who loves heartfelt historical fiction.

(This review contains some slight, necessary spoilers for Hattie Big Sky, if you're concerned about such things.)

Hattie is working hard in Great Falls, Montana, but it's hardly what she wants to do forever. Ever since the newspaper back in Iowa published her short articles about homesteading life, Hattie has cherished a secret dream of becoming a journalist like Nellie Bly or Ida Tarbell. When the opportunity to travel to San Francisco falls into her lap, Hattie seizes the opportunity to make a fresh start -- even though her heart tells her to travel to Seattle, where her dear friend Charlie has made his own fresh start. It's clear that Charlie wants Hattie to come to Seattle and become his wife -- but Hattie wants more out of life than show more just domestic bliss. And San Francisco beckons, promising to reveal not only Hattie's future, but possibly Uncle Chester's past as well. . . .

I loved Hattie Big Sky and was excited to see what was ahead for Hattie, especially since I was not expecting a sequel. This book did not disappoint! Hattie's exploits in San Francisco were completely believable, but also exciting and dramatic. I knew what I wanted to happen for Hattie, but I was never sure that those things would come to pass, so I was on the edge of my seat up until the very end of the book. I certainly don't want to give anything away, but I will just say that I found this book a satisfying continuation of Hattie's adventures. show less

Though I think she uses too many exclamation points, I love Hattie and think she earns comparisons to Anne Shirley. Both started as just orphan girls and eventually became confident, intrepid women with big dreams.

This story takes place in San Francisco in 1919. Hattie works hard to become a reporter at the Chronicle, facing down sexism, scandal, and her heart tugging her towards Seattle and Charlie. I love that Hattie decides to put her career hopes first instead of just marrying Charlie and settling down as a wife.

Lots of great historical detail (Boeing, postcards, $2.50 for a week at a hotel), a lovable heroine, and a bit of mystery make this a great read.

I recently heard Kirby Larson speak about her new book and how she had never intended to carry on the story of Hattie after the original Hattie Big Sky. But her readers wouldn't let it go. They wanted more of Hattie. I sheepishly admitted to Kirby in asking her to sign my new copy that I fell into that annoying bucket.

And I'm happy to say that I enjoyed Hattie's continued story as much as I did the first. She persists with her adventures, this time with a move to San Francisco, and continues resisting the traditional path for young women of this era. Larson does a wonderful job of weaving the story together within a historical context.

I know she's thinking that this is it, no more. But I'm sorry, she left the door open for Hattie #3. show more Maybe after a few years' break, she'll continue the story. And I'm sure I won't be the only one in line to snag a first copy. show less

I finished Hattie Big Sky before I was done with my mask project, and the other audiobook I'm working on (Linda Yueh's What Would the Great Economists Do?) requires more thinking than I could spare while sewing, so I got the Hattie sequel from the library. It's not got the oomph that the first has (and a sequel probably wasn't necessary), but it was fun to hear about San Francisco between the wars while finishing the masks.

Hattie Ever After by Kirby Larson is the sequel to Hattie Big Sky. When I first heard there was a sequel, I felt a charge of excitement. I read the book with huge expectations; Hattie Ever After not only met them, it surpassed them.

It's 1919 and Hattie is working and living at a boarding house. She is trying to pick up the pieces from losing her uncle's homestead. When a theater troupe offer her the opportunity to travel to San Francisco, she jumps at the chance.

San Francisco is an overwhelming city full of opportunities. The first few chapters in the City follow Hattie as she plays tourist and learns to navigate. Then she finds her niche and thrives. It was such a wonderful thing to see Hattie succeed (although she does have a few show more problems, too) after her struggles in the first book.

Included in these early chapters are reproductions of actual postcards that would have been on sale in 1919. In fact, it was the attention to detail that continues to make Hattie a relatable character, and her surroundings and adventures, believable. show less

Another historical fiction delight from Kirby Larson. Perfect for young female readers who like to read about girls who go against the grain. This book didn't quite captivate me the same way as Hattie Big Sky--which was a natural successor to the Little House on the Prairie books. In Hattie Ever After, we leave behind the open country of Montana for San Francisco. Blending elements of intrigue and journalism with self-discovery, Larson gives Hattie the happy ending all her readers have been waiting for.