023 - The Crowning Wonder

Thirteen-year-old Nettie Decker returns home after seven years with another family, only to find her world shattered. Her father is a drunkard, her family is mired in poverty, and hope seems a distant memory. With a stepmother who has given up and a stepbrother on a similar path to ruin, Nettie feels the weight of despair. But when she meets a kind-hearted neighbor boy, she vows to do everything in her power to save her father and stepbrother from their downward spiral. Join Nettie on her journey of resilience and determination in the face of overwhelming odds. (Summary by TriciaG)