First published 2011
Calpurnia Virginia Tate stands in her Texas backyard in 1899, puzzling over a mystery. The yellow grasshoppers grow much larger than the green ones. Why? Her grandfather, a gruff naturalist, helps her discover the answer. Green grasshoppers stand out against yellow grass, making them easy prey for birds. They get eaten before they can grow big. This revelation opens Callie's eyes to the natural world around her. She begins studying plants and animals with her grandfather's guidance. At home, she dodges the chaos of six brothers while wrestling with the restrictions placed on girls her age. Society expects her to focus on domestic skills, not scientific pursuits. Callie must navigate between her growing passion for natural science and the limited roles available to women at the turn of the century. Through a year of discovery, she develops a deep bond with her cantankerous grandfather and learns to see herself differently. Her journey captures the tension between intellectual curiosity and social expectations in a changing world.
Genres: fiction, family, nature, historical-fiction, 20th-century, coming-of-age, 19th-century, academic
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, fish-out-of-water, intellectual-curiosity
Setting: Texas
Period: 1899
340 pages · Paperback · Square Fish