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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Barely any
A drowning death is central to the plot; some implied violence in the backstory
Language
Barely any
Mild language; period-appropriate throughout
Sexual Content
Barely any
Light period romance; no explicit content
Substance Use
Barely any
Minimal; period social drinking
Emotional Intensity
A lot
Strong psychological content around ambition, sacrifice, and the painful cost of choosing yourself — one of YA's most affecting portraits of a young woman's inner life
What this book is about
In 1906, sixteen-year-old Mattie Gokey takes a summer job at a resort on the Adirondack lake near where a young woman has just drowned — a woman who entrusted Mattie with her letters before she died. Jennifer Donnelly's award-winning YA historical novel weaves the real-life Grace Brown murder case with Mattie's own struggle to choose between her dream of becoming a writer and the life her family needs from her.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
A murder by drowning is the historical backdrop
Emotionally heavy themes of sacrifice and gender limitation
Reader Verification
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