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Scattergood by H. M. Bouwman

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Scattergood

Publisher
Tantor Media, Inc
Publish Date
29 September 2026
Run Time
9 hours 8 minutes
Format
Audiobook
$13.95

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What to expect

In rural Iowa in 1941, twelve-year-old Peggy's quiet life is turned upside down by refugee arrivals, first love, and a heartbreaking diagnosis.

Growing up a farm girl, Peggy's life has never been particularly exciting. But a lot changes in 1941. Her friend Joe starts acting strange around her. The Quaker hostel nearby reopens to house Jewish refugees from Europe, including a handsome boy named Gunther and a troubled professor of nothing. And her cousin and best friend, Delia, is diagnosed with leukemia—and doesn't even know it. 

Peggy has always been rational. She may not be able to understand poetry and speak in metaphors like Delia, but she has to believe she can find a way out of this mess, for both of them. There has to be a cure. And yet the more she tries to control, the more powerless she feels. She can't make Gunther see her the way she sees him. She can't help the Professor find his missing daughter. She's tired of feeling young and naive, but growing up is proving even worse. 

A historical coming-of-age novel that feels as alive and present as today, Scattergood offers even listeners familiar with World War II a fascinating new glimpse of history, far from the battlefields of Europe and the shores of New York City. H.M. Bouwman presents a raw and unapologetic snapshot of a girl battling her own shortcomings and the random nature of life.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

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Details

Author
H. M. Bouwman
Narrator
Jesse Vilinsky
Duration
9 hours 8 minutes
Release Date
29 September 2026
ISBN
9798331962821
Format
Audiobook
Publisher
Tantor Media, Inc
Genre
Children’s / Teenage fiction: Family and home stories, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Families and family members, Children’s / Teenage fiction: General fiction, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Friends and friendships

Synopsis

In rural Iowa in 1941, twelve-year-old Peggy's quiet life is turned upside down by refugee arrivals, first love, and a heartbreaking diagnosis.Growing up a farm girl, Peggy's life has never been particularly exciting. But a lot changes in 1941. Her friend Joe starts acting strange around her. The Quaker hostel nearby reopens to house Jewish refugees from Europe, including a handsome boy named Gunther and a troubled professor of nothing. And her cousin and best friend, Delia, is diagnosed with leukemia—and doesn't even know it. Peggy has always been rational. She may not be able to understand poetry and speak in metaphors like Delia, but she has to believe she can find a way out of this mess, for both of them. There has to be a cure. And yet the more she tries to control, the more powerless she feels. She can't make Gunther see her the way she sees him. She can't help the Professor find his missing daughter. She's tired of feeling young and naive, but growing up is proving even worse. A historical coming-of-age novel that feels as alive and present as today, Scattergood offers even listeners familiar with World War II a fascinating new glimpse of history, far from the battlefields of Europe and the shores of New York City. H.M. Bouwman presents a raw and unapologetic snapshot of a girl battling her own shortcomings and the random nature of life.A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

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