Viola Gwyn

"Viola Gwyn" by George Barr McCutcheon is a tale from the end of the 1800s that highlights tricky family connections and long-lasting anger; the center of the story is a young boy, Kenneth Gwynne, who is very upset when he finds out about his mother's death and what happened around it, especially what he thinks was a betrayal by Rachel Carter, the woman his father ran off with. The book starts with Kenneth Gwynne, who is only five years old and struggling with feeling of loss and betrayal after his father goes off to fight in a war and his mother passes away. He grows up with his grandparents, and they teach him to hate Rachel Carter, who he blames for causing his mother’s sadness and death. As the story goes on, Kenneth’s bad feelings are mixed with strong memories of his childhood and the unfair things that happened to him. At the same time, he is getting ready for an exciting adventure when he goes on a trip to Indiana, where he runs into a mysterious person, which makes way for new friendships and more emotional discoveries.