Blessing's Bead

I love stories that span multiple generations. This one starts in the early 20th century in a remote Eskimo village and is from the point of view of a young girl, Nutaaq. She is saying goodbye to her older sister, and the one thing she has to hang on to is a lovely blue bead. The bead was a gift to her sister from her new Siberian husband, which her sister has now given to Nutaaq to keep until they meet again. But a plague rages through the land and Nutaaq is one of the few survivors, not knowing whether her sister survived or not.

Fast forward two generations, and Nutaaq's great-great-granddaughter, Blessing, happens upon the blue bead when going through her grandmother's things. Blessing has just been sent to live with her grandmother, who she hardly knows, while her mother is in rehab. The bead becomes sort of a security item for Blessing, and her grandmother does not know she has it. As she comes to terms with some losses in her life, she also gains understanding of her Inupiaq Eskimo heritage.

I don't feel like my short summary really does the book justice, but I LOVED this book. It is in our Young Adult collection, but I also think it is appropriate for upper elementary-aged kids.