A New Kind of Lady

“It’s amazing what you can see when you just sit quietly and look.” Truth.

21.12 The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

This is a very mild, sweet, and surprisingly poignant story of a girl discovering a changing world, her place in it, and whether or not she wants to fight for something more. Calpurnia is eleven years old, and the only girl among six brothers living in Texas during the last months of 1899.  A new century is coming and she is at the age where she is still left alone enough that she can discover things for herself, but old enough to recognize the signs that she is being molded into something else.  What she discovers is an interest in nature and science; things that also fascinate her reclusive Grandfather.  This shared interest helps them to get to know one another while Calpurnia also recognizes her brothers growing older and how her parents relate to one another.  

There are no huge plot developments or twists, but I think that there is a bit of a tomboy in ever girl and Calpurnia is nothing if not good.  She simply is who she is and she recognizes that in a short time things which are larger than her, mostly her mother’s and societies expectations, are going to start pressuring her into becoming something she may not want to be. I think any girl, young or old, can identify with how Calpurnia feels, and hope that she ends up with everything she deserves in the end, even if they may not be what a lady should do.

Like I said, there are no big surprises or plot twists; there are some questions left unanswered as we only glimpse her life over six months.  In the end, this is a really lovely book.