Faithful, by Janet Fox

Faithful, by Janet Fox
Young Adult / Adult, 2010

from School Library Journal:
It's May of 1904, and 16-year-old Maggie Bennet should be planning her debut into Newport society. Unfortunately, her father has other plans. He takes her to Yellowstone National Park, following a lead on Maggie's mother, who disappeared the year before and is presumed dead. Upon their arrival, Papa reveals that they are broke and he has taken a job as architect at the park. As Maggie tries to start a new life and piece together the mystery of her mother's connection to Yellowstone, she is torn between her conflicting desires. She longs to take her proper place in society, something offered by George Graybull, the rich and powerful but arrogant and shallow older man who is courting her. At the same time, she wants freedom and true love, represented by Tom, the kind but poor son of a geologist. The story follows Maggie's struggle to overcome her own prejudices and society's limitations. The wilderness of Yellowstone, which is lovingly and beautifully depicted, reflects her inner turmoil and yearning for freedom, deemed madness in her bohemian mother.

I have been wanting to read this forever - a historical fiction novel set in Yellowstone? The geologist in me was delighted. I loved the different scenes of Yellowstone, the paintings her mother captured of the raw beauty, and the change that Maggie made in her own self. I thought the plot overall was a bit of a dramafest, and the inconsistencies in some of the characters was very distracting. The romance was cute, but not overbearing, and I felt that while the book fell short of expectations, it was still a sweet little read.

I put YA and Adult, because even though it's a YA book, I think many adults (at least of the female variety) would enjoy it.

Graded a B-.