Julia is a young girl sent to live in the country with her cousins - despite her objections - and what she learns about life is worth reading about, whatever the time period. Emerson portrays life in rural New York in the late 1880s with historical details drawn from real life events. Having read the author's grandfather's reminiscences previously, I was delighted to see that some of his encounters with local characters were woven into the story. A good read. ( )