Anna and the Baking Championship, by Margo L. Dill
The Civil War filled our nation with pain, grief, and fear. The days were filled with thoughts of – Who would win? Would fathers and brothers return home alive? How would families survive the days with limited supplies?
In Anna and the Baking Championship, Anna reminds us that these fears were not the only ones that tugged at heart strings.
Turmoil still existed in other ways. Mothers needed money to buy supplies. Young lives had problems with friends and secret crushes. Unpleasant neighbors existed. And other routine events – such as the annual baking championship – caused other drama and concerns.
While Anna and the Baking Championship is a prequel to Finding My Place, it still captured my attention through the entire story.
Margo L. Dill wrote an excellent tale of Anna filling in for her mother during the annual baking championship. I felt the emotions of this young girl as she teeters on the brink between the phases of child and young adult.
This story is well researched, and I truly felt like I was peeking in on an incident in 1863. I felt for Anna as she discovers the truth about her neighbor’s nefarious deed.
But I’m not saying any more about it – you’ll have to read the story for yourself to see what happened in the baking championship. The ending was not one that I expected.
Jasper Lynn 