AR Book Level
4.4
AR Points
8
Word Count
54,687
Interest Level
Middle Grades Plus (MG+ 6 and up)
Genre
Fiction
AR Quiz #
133765 EN
About this book
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.