An autobiographical trilogy, in which Paulsen simply refers to himself as “the boy.” In The Cookcamp, the boy is bundled off to stay with his grandmother, who’s working as a cook for a team of nine burly men building a road through thick forests in northern Minnesota. Alida’s Song takes place about a decade later, when the boy’s grandmother sends for him to come help in the countryside where she’s working as a cook for two Swedish farmers. (This was my favorite, often reminding me of my own childhood in MN.) and in The Quilt, we flash back to a little-boy story that celebrates the hard work and courage of the women back home during WWII. (Full reviews and fair warnings on Goodreads.)
C. J. Milbrandt 