She Writes Press
March 2026
On Sale: February 24, 2026
Featuring: Eleanor Foerster; Francis
256 pages ISBN: B0FD8T5WL3 EAN: 9798896360827 Kindle: B0FDBKVV42 Trade Paperback / e-Book Add to Wish List
A debut historical novel destined to become a classic like Little Women, this coming-of-age story records an upstate New York family’s suffering and growth through World War I and its aftermath through the eyes of a young woman.
Eleanor Foerster, a bright and irreverent fourteen-year-old, takes her first step into adulthood on the day she learns that America has entered the Great War against Germany. Suddenly, her quiet town in upstate New York is swept up in the turbulence of World War I, and Ellie watches as her family and community are reshaped in unexpected ways.
Ellie’s impulsive elder brother Francis tries to escape family expectations by enlisting in the army, but then discovers that the army has expectations, too. Her sister Lucy finds love, loses it, then finds it again. Her uncle and mentor John helps his roomer Reid find a way to avoid the draft without breaking the law, but then learns that his political frankness can be costly in a small town.
As the war rages on, the Great Influenza spreads at home, and the post-war Red Scare stirs unrest, Ellie must navigate personal loss and growing uncertainty. Along the way, she discovers a hidden talent—one that may just help her earn her way into a future beyond her family’s expectations.
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