Thimble Summer

Garnet, a nine-year-old girl, lives on a farm in Wisconsin with her family. She dresses and behaves “like a boy” (4). It is summer and burning hot at home as she lingers around the yard, exasperated about the draught. She is angry as her father worries that there will be no corn by harvest time. 

Garnet walks to the Hausers’ farm, the home of Citronella, her friend. Citronella just finished helping her mother with the ironing, and she and Garnet go to pick up the mail. On the way, the two girls talk about places they would rather be. Citronella wishes she could be by a waterfall, while Garnet dreams of the Alps and snow. 

Citronella’s big family always has many letters. Garnet finds mostly bills, but also the catalog from the big department store. She worries about the bills, thinking about how her father spends several nights in the kitchen looking at them. She wishes for rain. 

Garnet returns home and finds her father and her 11-year-old brother, Jay, doing chores in the barn. The barn is old, but Garnet loves it. She looks at the pigs, which she often names. Madam Queen is the big sow, but her favorite is a little “runt” that she names Timmy.