Dear Great Book Guru, I just watched NOMADLAND this weekend and really enjoyed it.  I’m sure it will win all sorts of awards for its storyline and acting.  Do you have a book that deals with a similar theme - a woman facing life’s hardships here in America and showing great courage?  In Search of a Hero

Dear In Search of a Hero, I too loved the movie NOMADLAND and this weekend I read a book that reminded me very much of its heroine: ZORRIE  by Laird Hunt. When Zorrie’s parents die of diphtheria within weeks of one another, she goes to live with a bitter, unloving aunt. The young Zorrie is an enthusiastic student and hard worker but she is forced to leave school when she is fifteen.  With the aunt’s death, Zorrie is once again orphaned and leaves her beloved home in Indiana. In Chicago, she finds dear friends with whom she will remain close throughout her life. She also finds employment in a factory manufacturing radium faced clocks. Zorrie and her friends become known as the “ghost girls” because they glow from radium-induced radioactivity. Health problems will plague these young women for the rest of their lives. Working incredibly hard, she faces cruel obstacles all along the way.  Zorrie’s life story underscores the plight of so many in this land of great wealth and beauty.  Highly recommended!