Franny Hansen is a 10-year-old piano prodigy living in Rusty Nail, Minnesota. Once the Coot Capitol of the world, in 1953 it's just a run-of-the-mill town with one traffic light and a bizarre cast of characters. She's long exhausted the talents of the town's only piano teacher and seems destined to perform at church events and school assemblies, until a mysterious Russian woman arrives in Rusty Nail. Franny's neighbors are convinced the "Commie" is a threat to their American way of life, but Franny's not so sure. Could this stranger be her ticket out of Rusty Nail?

Lesley M. M. Blume returns with the poignant and laugh-out-loud funny story of one girl's attempt to pursue the American dream in small town America.

 Back to top | e-mail or print this page

NOMINEE - IRA Children's Book Award for Younger Readers
NOMINEE - Georgia Children's Book Award
NOMINEE - Kansas William White Award

 Back to top | e-mail or print this page

★ “A story that is as rich as it is delicious.”—Booklist, Starred

“Blume has skillfully combined humor, history, and music to create an enjoyable novel that builds to a surprising crescendo.”—School Library Journal



From the Trade Paperback edition.

 Back to top | e-mail or print this page

Click here for The Rising Star of Rusty Nail BookTalk

 Back to top | e-mail or print this page

Lesley M. M. Blume is a writer and journalist based in New York City. Her first book for young readers, Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters, was published by Knopf last July and was called "a fabulous read that will enchant its audience with the magic to be found in everyday life" in a starred review by School Library Journal.

 Back to top | e-mail or print this page