Beyond the Heather Hills: The Martha Years (The Little House Series) by Melissa Wiley, Renee Graef (Illustrator)

Synopsis

In this fourth book in the Martha Years series, ten–year–old Martha journeys to the bustling city of Perth to visit her newly married sister Grisie.

This is Martha's first time beyond the familiar heather hills and this city on the River Tay is more exciting than she could have ever imagined!

Ages 8–12

Annotation

Ten-year-old Martha Morse, who would grow up to become the great-grandmother of author Laura Ingalls Wilder, experiences the larger world outside of tiny Glencaraid, Scotland, when she goes to visit her married sister in Perth.

Marya Jansen-Gruber - Children's Literature

Martha is to have a great adventure this summer. She lives in the highlands of Scotland with her parents and their household. Being the daughter of a laird, she has a good life and she loves her world—the moors, the mountains, the lake, her father's tenants and her home. She has been able to run free and wild out in the fresh air and has helped her mother and the servants in their chores. Then it is decided that she will visit her older sister Grisie who has recently married and moved to the city of Perth. Martha has never seen a city and is full of excitement and anticipation of this adventure. It is with surprise that she finds that Grisie's home is a dark, silent, almost grim sort of place. To make matters more difficult, Grisie's father-in-law, Mr. MacDougal, arrives and brings with him a chill, unwelcoming air. This is not a warm home full of life and laughter. One does not make friends with the servants and Martha is expected to be a young lady who does not speak until she is spoken to. The household is suddenly plunged into mourning when the irascible Mr. MacDougal dies. To her relief, Martha is sent home. She is very happy to see her familiar highlands but she also discovers that things don't quite look the same any more. Those few weeks in Perth changed her in some way. She has seen unhappiness and loss, grief and death, and all these experiences have left their mark. She realizes how truly lucky she is to have her own life and family. As the story unfolds we see that Martha is just beginning to see life through the eyes of a young woman. She has not quite stepped over the threshold of that stage in life but she is looking through the door, unsure whether or not it is a place shewants to go. With her accustomed sensitivity, the author takes us on a journey with Martha and once more whets our appetite to find out what Martha does next. Martha is the great-grandmother of one of America's finest women pioneers, Laura Ingalls Wilder. This book is one of several in "The Martha Years" series and is a "Little House" book. 2003, HarperCollins,

Biography

Melissa Wiley, the author of the Charlotte Years and the Martha Years series, has done extensive research on early-nineteenth-century New England life. She lives in Virginia with her husband, Scott, and her daughters, Kate, Erin, and Eileen.