On Snowden Mountain

On Snowden Mountain is a thoughtful middle-grade novel exploring the profound impact of a parent's severe depression on a child, set against the backdrop of World War II. Twelve-year-old Ellen navigates her mother's illness, her father's absence, and the challenges of adjusting to a new, rural life with a distant aunt. The story gently addresses themes of family strength, community, and Ellen's personal fears about her own future, offering a poignant look at resilience and finding belonging amidst hardship. It's ideal for discussing mental health, historical context, and the power of human connection.

Twelve-year-old Ellen learns the quiet strength of family when her mother’s deep depression prompts her to ask an estranged aunt for help. Ellen’s mother has struggled with depression before, but not like this. With her father away fighting in World War II and her mother unable to care for them, Ellen’s only option is to reach out to her cold, distant aunt Pearl. Soon enough, city-dwelling Ellen and her mother are shepherded off to the countryside to Aunt Pearl’s home, a neat little cabin at the base of Snowden Mountain. Adjusting to life in a small town is no easy thing: the school has one room, one of her classmates smells of skunks, and members of the community seem to whisper about Ellen’s family. But even as she worries that depression is a family curse to which she’ll inevitably succumb, Ellen slowly begins to carve out a space for herself and her mother on Snowden Mountain in this thoughtful, heartfelt middle-grade novel from Jeri Watts.