Katerina's Wish (review)

Thirteen-year-old Katerina and her family came to America full of dreams, hoping to own their own farm. Instead, however, Katerina's father labors in a Colorado mine, the corrupt practices of early twentieth century minework putting him increasingly in debt to the company store. When Katerina discovers giant carp inhabiting a quiet pool in the nearby river, she remembers a folktale from her youth in which a magic fish grants three wishes. After two wishes that her sisters jokingly make come true, Trina secretly returns to the pond and makes a third wish for a farm. A burgeoning romance with Marek, the neighbor boy, and Katrina's resourceful business purchasing and delivering goods for residents of the mining town add further interest to this carefully researched and crafted historical novel about a young woman caught between a dream and reality. Folktales from her Bohemian home country are woven seamlessly into the narrative, mostly shared by Old Jan, Marek's father, who visits the family every evening and, along with his sons, shares many of the family's trials. The setting is thoughtfully presented, and the book presents the challenges faced by the mining town with authentic emotion. Trina is an appealing character and narrator, who wants desperately to believe that all will end happily for her family but who has lost some of her hope in light of their circumstances. As for the carp, in the end Trina realizes that "the magic was in the believing and not the other way around," and she faces the future with a new sense of empowerment that is certain to serve her well. The open-ended conclusion to the romance thread may disappoint some readers, but they'll be glad that overall things look promising for the Prochazkovas in the end. An author's note about the relevant history is included.