Thank you, Midwest Book Review, for your glowing recommendation of my YA novel, Opulence, Kansas!
Opulence, Kansas
Julie Stielstra
Meadowlark Books
9781734247701, $9.95, PB, 190pp
Critique: A superbly crafted, inherently interesting, and thoroughly ‘reader friendly’ novel for ages 13-18, “Opulence, Kansas” by Julie Stielstra is an exceptional and unreservedly recommended addition to middle school, high school, and community library YA Fiction collections. Also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.95).
Synopsis: When Katie Myrdal’s father is found dead in his Porsche, everything she thought she knew about her family is shaken. Her uncle Len and his wife Maggie (relatives she barely knew existed) show up at the funeral and offer an escape for the summer to their Kansas farm. Katie abandons her Chicago Gold Coast high-rise life to land beneath the wider skies of the prairie. Grappling with loss and disillusionment, Katie must forge new skills and new friendships in a small town called Opulence, a town holding secrets and riches she will need before she can go back home.
