A Tiny Piece of Blue: A Novel

A Tiny Piece of Blue is a touching snapshot of life in rural Michigan in the Great Depression. After being caught stealing from a school, Silstice Trayson’s reputation is even lower than it was before, when she was just one of the “Trashy Traysons”. However, Edna Goetz, who manages the local 4-H group for girls, still has faith in her and does her best to give Silstice a second chance, even taking her into her home despite her husband’s objections.

The story is one of affection, loyalty, and second chances, and the tale is touching. The attempts to tie in the child trafficking of the Great Depression fell short, however. That particular plotline is vaguely hinted at for most of the book, and when it arrives, it does so in full force, overwhelming the previous sentiment. In addition, the tight focus on Silstice and the Goetz family leaves little room for secondary characters to breathe and grow, so most of them feel like caricatures or shadows. At times, even the Goetzes are trapped by this.

A Tiny Piece of Blue is a perfectly serviceable book for those who want a historical novel with themes of redemption, but it is little more.