Reading Metrics
Grade Level
Middle Grades Plus (MG+ 6 and up)
Book Level
4.4
Points
8.0
Fiction/Nonfiction
Fiction
Word Count
54687
Points per Word
0.000146
Page Count
231
Points per Page
0.034632
Description
In the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee in 1880, sixteen-year-old Viney Walker opposes English settlers who are clearing her beloved forest to establish a utopian democratic community based on the ideals of English writer Thomas Hughes. While Viney works to sabotage the colonists' plans, her sister Lizzie welcomes the newcomers hoping to find a wealthy husband among them. The novel explores themes of environmental destruction, family conflict, and the clash between progress and preservation.