Donnelly, Jennifer. A Northern Light. Orlando: Harcourt Inc., 2004. 383 pages. (Historical Fiction / Mystery)Mattie Gokey is a sixteen- year- old girl who, as the eldest girl in the family, took the place of her deceased mother. Knowing that it would be nearly impossible to be her flawless mother, she tries her hardest to earn money for her poor family, ones less fortunate, and herself. However; after she is granted with a full scholarship to a nice collage with the help of her friend, Weaver, she knows that this is her chance to escape and break free. The only problem is that she would live with the guilt of deserting her family and the probability that her father would forbid her to go.
On top of all of this, one of the guests at the hotel she works at, hands her a bundle of letters, pleading for her to burn them. Then, when Grace drowns in a lake and the man that was with her disappears, Mattie knows that the letters might be the only evidence to a murder. So, breaking her promise to burn the letters, she reads them.
This was a fantastic story describing a young girl and the lessons she learns and the romance that follows. A wonderful book. I would recommend it.
Reviewed by: DeviantDrawer12.
