by Lois Lenski
Kayla wades into the flooded cranberry bogs before dawn, the cold water seeping through her boots as she joins the other workers bent over the crimson fruit. Her family depends on the seasonal harvest to make ends meet. Day after day, she and her neighbors endure the punishing physical labor that comes with working the bogs. Their backs ache from constant bending. Their hands grow raw from the repetitive motions. Yet they persist because they must. These immigrant families have found their place in the cranberry fields of Cape Cod, carving out a living through sheer determination. Kayla learns what it means to contribute to her family's survival while discovering the strength that comes from working alongside people who understand struggle. The story reveals how hard work shapes character and how immigrant communities support each other through difficult times.
Genres: family-life, historical-fiction, 20th-century, agriculture
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, hard-work
Setting: Cape Cod, Cranberry Bogs
Period: 20th Century
124 pages · Library Binding · Harpercollins (L)