The life of artist Georgia O'Keeffe is revealed in this biographical novel — from her childhood when she decided to be an artist, through her art education in Chicago and New York, to her eventual rise to fame in the American Southwest. At the age of 12, Georgia O'Keeffe announced that she wanted to be an artist. With the support of her family, O'Keeffe attended boarding schools with strong art programs, and after graduating, went to live with an aunt and uncle in Chicago to attend the city's highly regarded Art Institute. Illness forced O'Keeffe to leave Chicago, but once she'd recovered, her family scraped together funds to send her to New York to study at the Art Students League. When her family fell on hard times, she left without the degree she needed. Discouraged, but unwilling to give up her dream, O'Keeffe found a different path. She became an art teacher in schools in Texas and South Carolina, honing her own craft as she taught her students. O'Keeffe never gave up her dream, no matter what obstacles she encountered--she knew she was meant to be an artist. Gr 6-9-She was a masterful painter and a towering figure of 20th-century American art. She was athletic, musical, a skilled seamstress, and a romantic. Though fiercely independent throughout her long life and contented being alone, she made lasting friendships. Readers will learn all this and more from Meyer's detailed fictionalized biography. The title brings readers into O'Keeffe's world starting at age 12-when she first announced that she wanted to be an artist-through her years as a child, teen, young adult, then mature adult-from growing up on her family's farm to attending schools in Wisconsin; then studying art in Chicago and New York City; working as a fashion illustrator and artist in New York; then teaching in high schools and universities in Virginia, South Carolina, and Texas. Teens will also learn about her romances, including her marriage to famed photographer and gallery owner Alfred Stieglitz; her travels; and her steady progress toward great success and fame. Narrated in first-person, this is an interesting glimpse into early- and mid-20th-century America and the life of a complex woman. Meyer has researched O'Keeffe's life intensively and, for much of the book, the narrator's voice rings true-but not always. Some details-O'Keeffe's descriptions of her artistic processes, for example-sometimes seem contrived to sound like spoken narrative but may cause readers' attention to wander. However, budding romantics and artists should appreciate this work. VERDICT Recommended for public and school collections. A useful selection for art history and women's studies units.-Carol Goldman, formerly at Queens Library, NYα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. “Meyer's detailed fictionalized biography…is an interesting glimpse into early- and mid-20th-century America and the life of a complex woman. Meyer has researched O'Keeffe's life intensively and…the narrator's voice rings true…budding romantics and artists should appreciate this work. A useful selection for art history and women's studies units.” — School Library Journal “This first-person historical fiction title is told in Georgia O’Keefe’s own voice. O’Keefe was ahead of her time, knowing from a young age that she wanted to be an artist, keep the surname O’Keefe, and adorn herself in black. This book is not the typical young adult or crowd-pleaser fiction. The novel will especially appeal to those interested in art, artists, or strong women who ‘break the mold.’ Brief mention of O’Keefe’s contemporaries in the art and photography world add helpful historical information. The author’s notes and Stieglitz’s photos of a young and mature woman help provide context. The novel is readable, informative, and may also appeal to art teachers as a reading choice in the content area.” — School Library Connection “Lovers of historical fiction will…enjoy this tale.” — VOYA “Georgia O’Keeffe’s life and artistic development are chronicled in Meyer’s latest work of historical fiction...Georgia comes to life in Meyer’s portrait (and)… the pace moves along at a satisfying rate. Meyer’s portrait of the bold, groundbreaking painter should inspire young artists and historical fiction lovers alike.” — Booklist Carolyn Meyer is the award-winning author of numerous novels for children and young adults, many of them on courageous women of the past. Her books include Girl with a Camera, about Margaret Bourke-White , and Diary of a Waitress , about the Harvey Girls of the American West. She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Visit her at readcarolyn.com Part I “I’m going to be an artist.” 1 Sun Prairie, Wisconsin—Summer 1900 The first time I told anyone that I was going to be an artist, Lena and I were hanging wet sheets on a clothesline. Linen is heavy when it’s wet, and it took two of us to make sure the sheets didn’t d