This is a Newbery winner from the 1950's about the transformation within the family after the father returns from war (probably WWII). It sounds like PTSD before that was identified. The father is angry and wants to be alone. The family moves to the mother's grandmother's farm in rural Pennsylvania from Pittsburgh. They arrive at sugaring time. The story continues until after the next year's sugaring time.
Marly, the daughter, is the main character and her interactions with her brother and family and the neighbor, Mr. Chris, form the story. Her love of nature is the basis of the story. It has the transformative power of nature as a theme similar to the book The Secret Garden. The father mellows out and returns to his former self. The descriptions of the flowers and plants make you wish you were on these adventures. Marly's love of animals is a great addition as it points up the conundrums of man vs. animal ethics. (I see her as a future animal rights activist).
Very interesting in this book are the male/female roles. Marly many times "lets' her brother be the first to see or do something because he is a boy and boys "need" to be first. She is not allowed to roam while her brother can go anywhere he wants without even saying where he is going. She also does the "women" chores while her brother does the "men" chores. I love how she has glimmers of the future when she questions some of these things. I see a budding feminist. Good book.
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