Hattie Big Sky

Kirby Larson’s Hattie Big Sky is a 2006 young adult historical fiction novel that won the Newbery Honor Award. Larson is a young adult author who specializes in writing historical fiction centering on strong female protagonists. Set during World War I, the novel follows Hattie Brooks as she travels to Montana to work on the farm that her uncle leaves to her after he dies. The novel explores themes of community, overcoming adversity, and issues with American identity during World War I.

This study guide refers to the Yearling 2007 e-book.

Content warning: This source material contains xenophobia. This source material also contains references to domestic violence and the loss of children.

Plot Summary

Sixteen-year-old orphan Hattie Brooks learns that her Uncle Chester left her a homestead claim in Vida, Montana, after his death. Hattie writes to her friend, Charlie, who has enlisted to fight in World War I, about the possibility of finally having a home of her own. Despite not knowing anything about homesteading life, Hattie moves to Montana to work the farm. When she arrives, Uncle Chester’s friends Karl and Perilee Mueller pick her up from the train station. Hattie meets their children, Chase, Mattie, and Fern. Hattie learns that she has 10 months to “prove” the claim, showing that she can yield a harvest on it. If she does not prove the claim, then she will lose the land. In town, one of the store owners refuses to sell coffee to Perilee because Karl is German.

Hattie adjusts to homesteading with the help of Perilee and her family. She meets Traft Martin, a local rancher whom many of the farmers dislike because he is the head of the Council of Defense, an organization that tracks the patriotism of the citizens in the area to ensure that there is no hint of treason. After a local dance, an act of arson burns Karl’s barn to the ground. When Hattie gets home, she discovers that someone tried to burn down her barn as well, but they were unsuccessful. Hattie concludes that Traft and the Council are responsible for the vandalism, and she resolves to help Perilee and her family stand up against the anti-German sentiment in the area.

As harvesting time comes, Hattie worries about proving her claim because the lack of rain has made it difficult for her to farm the land. Traft offers to buy her land from her because he wants to expand his ranch. Although Hattie feels tempted to take his offer to pay off her debts, she refuses. When Hattie goes into town with Perilee’s children, she witnesses Traft and the Council of Defense harassing Mr. Ebgard, the man in charge of people’s claims. Mr. Ebgard says that the German pastor in the area should be allowed to continue preaching in German to his congregation. The Council does not believe that this is patriotic, and they begin hitting Mr. Ebgard. Hattie intervenes and tells them that she has a meeting with Mr. Ebgard, and they let him go. Hattie worries that the Council will target her next.

A few weeks later, a hailstorm destroys Hattie’s harvest. She receives word that Traft is disputing her claim because of her age. She goes into town to meet with Mr. Ebgard and Traft, and Mr. Ebgard tells her that to prove a claim, she must be 21 years old or the head of a household. Although Hattie thinks that she will lose her land, Mr. Ebgard rules in her favor because he asserts that she is the head of her household since she has lived alone as an orphan for many years.

The next week, the Spanish influenza hits Vida. Karl and Chase go to pick up tractor parts in another town, but when Hattie visits Perilee and the girls, she finds them sick with the flu. Hattie cares for them for several days, but Mattie dies. When Karl returns, they have a funeral for Mattie. Mattie’s death destroys Hattie, and when she hears that she will not be able to keep her claim, it hardly affects her. The next week, Hattie hears that the war is over, and she receives word from Charlie that he will be coming home. Perilee tells Hattie that she and her family are moving to Seattle since everything in the area reminds them of Mattie. Hattie makes a quilt for Perilee to remember her by, and she promises to visit them. After the Muellers leave, Hattie takes a job as a chambermaid at a boarding house in Great Falls. Charlie writes to tell her that he has feelings for her and that he wants to come see her. Hattie writes back that she does not know if she has feelings for him but that she hopes he visits her so that they can see if they are a good match. Hattie leaves Vida for Great Falls, feeling hopeful for what the future holds.