The Best of the Lean Years

The year is 1936 and America is still in the midst of the Great Depression. The Longuski family has made the perilous trek from Michigan to Washington state, traveling halfway across the country in search of work. Youngest daughter, Andie, doesn’t care about her few clothes or walking a couple of miles, as long as she has shoes on her feet and a chance to go to school. While the family struggles to stay together through the final years of the Depression, Andie helps by collecting bottles for nickels, joins the top girls’ basketball team in school, and finds her own place in the world. A uniquely engaging coming-of-age story, The Best of the Lean Years is the quintessential American tale of overcoming adversity and discovering the true inner strength of the human soul.