Somebody's Little Girl

Bessie Bell remembers a white cat, red apples and a house whose details grown people dismiss as impossible. Martha Young tells this children's story through a little girl's uncertain memories and close attention to everyday things. Taken from a house during a fever outbreak, Bessie lives among girls cared for by Sisters. Their days include sand play, washing hands together, caraway cakes and a private rule about leaving fallen crumbs for the sparrows.

On a mountain, where she shares a cabin with Sister Helen Vincula, Bessie encounters children who speak freely about their mothers. Hearing them call a lady Mama gives her a new word to puzzle over and a new way to understand the people around her. Repetition and small sensory details keep the narrative close to her thoughts. Readers interested in childhood and belonging will find a story that makes ordinary routines and unfamiliar family relationships feel large through a child's eyes.