SuitabookAmbition and the American dream
Franny has outgrown the town's piano teaching and appears limited to church events and school assemblies while seeking a larger future.
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Lesley M. M. Blume - Author
A humorous, poignant coming-of-age story about musical ambition, limited opportunities and a stranger who unsettles a close-knit American town. Franny must decide what possibility, belonging and success mean to her.
Franny Hansen is a 10-year-old piano prodigy living in Rusty Nail, Minnesota. Once the Coot Capitol of the world, in 1953 it's just a run-of-the-mill town with one traffic light and a bizarre cast of characters. She's long exhausted the talents of the town's only piano teacher and seems destined to perform at church events and school assemblies, until a mysterious Russian woman arrives in Rusty Nail. Franny's neighbors are convinced the "Commie" is a threat to their American way of life, but Franny's not so sure. Could this stranger be her ticket out of Rusty Nail?Lesley M. M. Blume returns with the poignant and laugh-out-loud funny story of one girl's attempt to pursue the American dream in small town America.From the Hardcover edition.
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Sign in for personalised guidanceA humorous, poignant coming-of-age story about musical ambition, limited opportunities and a stranger who unsettles a close-knit American town. Franny must decide what possibility, belonging and success mean to her.
Franny has outgrown the town's piano teaching and appears limited to church events and school assemblies while seeking a larger future.
In 1953, neighbours interpret the Russian woman's presence as a threat, while Franny is not convinced by their view.
The book includes social suspicion directed at a Russian woman labelled a “Commie”, in a 1953 setting. A child may benefit from discussing how political fear can affect judgements about individuals.
This is a grounded book brief while Suitabook strengthens the analysis: the current material supports only a cautious reading; another book-specific source is still needed.
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